For Norman Namanya and URA FC, the ball going into the back of the net in the Uganda Premier League encounter gave them more than just a point but brought renewed confidence.
Having gone eight games without scoring, it was important for the Tax Collectors to bring an end to the poor run, thus creating a renewed sense of belief.
In the world of football, a goal drought is a mental shadow that follows a squad into every training session and every match.
When Namanya found the 66th-minute equaliser against Kitara FC, he didn’t just change the scoreline but changed the atmosphere of the camp at large.
Reflecting on the goal, Namanya admitted that while the technical team remained patient, the players felt the urgency to deliver.
“It feels really good to score again and help the team,” Namanya shared with URA Media.
“As players, we have been working hard in training and we always believed the goal would come. I’m grateful to my teammates and the technical team for the trust they continued to show in me during that stretch,” he added.
For Namanya, this was his eighth goal in a URA jersey, but he was quick to pivot from personal statistics to the collective spirit. He knows that in a season defined by transitions, a single moment of success can be a spark that ignites confidence.
“We are understanding te coach’s philiosophy more with every games. This goal is special because it broke a difficult run and gave us a point. More importantly it gives us confidence. That’s something we desparately want to build on going forward,” he added.
Despite sitting 13th on the log, that does not reflect the pedigree of a club like URA, Namanya is confident of the tide turning.
“The table doesn’t reflect the quality in this squad. Our responsibility now is to keep improving, keep believing and push back to where the club belongs.”
URA FC will host the current FUFA Big Leaders, Blacks Power at Hamz Stadium in Nakivubo for the round of 32. Since its a knockout duel, belief is the most valuable asset a team can carry onto the pitch.