Growing up at a time when Uganda was reeling from the effects of the decade long Field Marshal Idi Amin Dada rule, there was nothing much to be proud of in Kampala as a Naguru raised lad, save for the sports prowess.
Boxing was at an all-time high with many world beaters emanating from my hood in the likes of John Mugabi, Fred Muteweta, Godfrey Nyakana among others going on to become world beaters.
In football, we had our neighborhood team KCC Football Club (now KCCA Football Club) whose training sessions we patronised religiously at the now Philip Omondi Stadium. Seeing greats like Philip Omondi, John Tebusweke, Tom Lwanga, Paul Ssali, Jackson Mayanja, John Latigo, Sadiq Wassa, Jimmy Kirunda, Godfrey Kateregga playing football at a time when the incentives were nearly non-existent yet they went on to torment many teams locally and internationally gave us hope, a lot of it.
However, the football turmoil that followed in the 90s and at the turn of this century had pushed some of us to the periphery of soccer and yet we didn’t want to take on the lazier option of transferring allegiance to European clubs. Suffering silently, we wept until a glimmer of hope appeared in the form of the Save Our Soccer (SOS) group that had the likes of Dennis Mbidde and Aldrine Nsubuga.
The seeds of a football rebirth in Uganda at both club and national level in my view were planted by SOS as far back as 2005. Fast forward, after sorting out the national federation, Aldrine Nsubuga went ahead to clamour for reforms at the then KCC FC. It too was an uphill task but eventually, circumstances were in his favour and that change was embraced. The transition to KCCA FC marked the beginning of professionalization of the club.
Without mincing words, the club took on a path that not only required heavy investment like never seen before but also faith in letting professionals run the game. This is what has differentiated KCCA FC from the rest of the pack in Ugandan football. The surge in performance that culminated in the Champions League qualification on Saturday, 17th March 2018 cannot only be attributed to good players but also a very competent management team that has been given the lee way to do as they deem best. The KCCA Administration headed by Madam Jennifer Musisi by risking and committing hefty sums of money to support the club needs applauding. The fruits of their faith are being seen in the prize money that the club has started attracting.
As a club, its strings of successes have attracted a host of sponsors with more preparing to come on board. The next money minting opportunity for the club shall be the sale of the greatly talented and youthful players still in their prime. I foresee the club selling a player for a US$ One Million price tag within the next five years, at this rate.
The other unsung heroes have been the football federation – FUFA. They have without doubt created a very enabling environment that is allowing clubs to blossom. The convenient league schedules created to facilitate a team playing at the continental level coupled by all manner of support like buying tickets for fans, match promotion as well as live broadcast of the match are things we simply cannot push under the carpet. These overtures have made the local football fans gain solidarity and it’s now a common sight seeing fans of other clubs supporting KCCA FC at the continental level.
With the recent achievement, I see bigger things in sight not only for KCCA FC but also other clubs closely in tow like Vipers Sports Club that have shown a very serious intent to make their mark.
Congratulations to all the lads and backend team at KCCA. This qualification has not been a fluke. You have diligently earned it. It was no mistake, but rather a reward for the meticulous planning and foresight exhibited over the years. Now it’s time for continental dominance.
The Opinion was written by James Wire, a blogger.
Follow him on Twitter: @wirejames