Overview:
Joel Sserunjogi hails from a typical footballing family where two of his older siblings Jovan Mukiibi (now deceased) and Julius “Boy” Mutyaba also played the beautiful game
Workaholic midfielder Joel Sserunjogi ranks among the self-made brands of footballers.
Sserunjogi currently features for Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Football Club in the Uganda Premier League.
Donning shirt 23, Sserunjogi has been among the stand-out players on the current Uganda Cranes team playing at the ongoing CHAN 2024, a tournament co-hosted by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
His general understanding of the game (game intelligence), coverage of spaces, man-marking antics, ball distribution (passing), command and the odd-beautiful goal against Niger have definitely left lasting impressions.
Hailing from a typical footballing family where two of his older siblings also played the beautiful game, it was therefore never a surprise to witness the boldness, courage and passion that Sserunjogi had to tread the same pathway.
Football atoms in the family
Two of his elder brothers, Jovan Mukiibi (now deceased) and Julius “Boy” Mutyaba, also played football, up to the highest level.
After the untimely death of the oldest brother, Mukiibi, who played as a center half, Mutyaba emulated him.
“Our eldest brother died while playing football,” Mutyaba opens up.
“It was a legacy set by him. I spoke to myself that I have to play the game and accomplish what he did not fulfil. At all times, I encouraged Sserunjogi to follow me during training sessions at every club I played for,” Mutyaba adds.
Mutyaba himself played for Express, Lweza, Police (Rwanda) and Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Football Clubs.
Born to Sarah Nansubuga and Lawrence Ssemwogerere, Sserunjogi is among the three boys in a family that also has five girls.
Sserunjogi’s bold journey:
Sserunjogi commenced his football journey in a Makindye-based academy owned by Hajji Harunah Nambale under coach Sserumaga.
With the persuasion from the big brother Mutyaba, he was lured to Mulusa Football Academy, which had a solid relationship back then with Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) football club as the attached junior team.
He then crossed to another giant football school, St Julian High School – Gayaza before he started to play in the famous Buganda Masaza Cup tournament for Busiro Ssaza.
Sserunjogi then crossed to Buddu Ssaza from where he was poached by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Football Club.
In the summer of 2024, he secured a summer training camp in the Netherlands where Mutyaba is based with the help of a local NGO, Hope Football Aid Uganda, to further harness his football skills.
For starters, Hope Football Aid Uganda is a non-governmental organization that has precipitated the development of grassroots football talents.
Roch Somoka, an administrator at Hope Football Aid Uganda, is grateful for the focus and right mentality that Sserunjogi has had over the years.
“Joel (Sserunjogi) is a special player. From the discipline, right attitude, mentality and focus, he has been top-notch. He works so hard every day and yearns to live a dream,” Somoka speaks of the box-to-box midfielder.
Sserunjogi now switches his guns to Senegal during the quarter finals of CHAN 2024 at Mandela National Stadium, a fortress where he has covered every grass, dribbled to perfection, passed with efficiency the short, long and diagonal balls and as well, scored.
“Everyone is mentally stable. We went through the game stages well and we eye a great match against Senegal,” Sserunjogi told the media during the pre-match press conference at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.
