Uganda’s top 10 footballers of all time

It probably never will. At the end of the day, for the sake of peace, football fans globally are advised to just simply celebrate the talents each player they are distinctly passionate about, and leave it at that. No arguments because where choice is concerned, it is never black or white. Better still, there is nothing straight forward!

Back home, the story has never been different. The argument between Jackson Mayanja and the late Majid Musisi is probably one that is decided by whether you are a KCCA FC or SC Villa fan, respectively.

Yet, one fact that cannot be disputed, is that during the 1980s and 1990s, these two attackers run the rule in Ugandan football. They created some unforgettable memories, as we will find out in this article about who Uganda’s top footballers are, and why…….

Arguably the most successful Uganda Cranes coach, a job that he did in such difficult circumstances. During the early 1990s, the rivalry of SC Villa and KCCA FC grew by the hour. Yet, the two sides had the best football players in the land.

There was no love lost between the two clubs, a factor that actually engrossed the players of the two sides. They hardly saw each other eye to eye. Both Villa and KCCA players would hardly share a room in camp. Yet, Ouma worked his magic to bring these two warring factions together.

Such was the man’s midas touch; an aspect that made him a football darling during his playing days. Ouma was not fast, just like former Express FC number 10, Fred Tamale, or better still, Nigeria’s Nwankwo Kanu. But despite that, Ouma was a hero of great technique; a dribbler, a creator of goals and an absolute scoring machine.

During the early appearances at the Africa Cup of Nations for the Cranes, Ouma was Uganda’s ace. Due to the magical touch he had on the ball, oftentimes, he left his markers bewildered by the ghostly nature of his movement, eluding them with so much ease. That always meant he was in the right place at the right time, finishing off moves.

It is no surprise that Ouma turned to be a fantastic coach. All that he owed to the fact that he had been such an intelligent footballer, something that rubbed off his players in the end, to great effect.

The likes of Hasule, Musisi and Mayanja owed a lot of their career successes to Ouma. And forever, Ouma will be remembered for the great number 10 he was, and undoubtedly, one of the best players this country has ever had!

The late Dennis Obua was once called Mr. Football. This was after he took over the Fufa’s presidency back in 1998. His arrival at the helm of Ugandan football was viewed as transformative; the saving grace of the game, that was viewed by some as having hit rock bottom.

And while he did his best until 2005, when Obua was booted out as Fufa boss acrimoniously, it is hard not to acknowledge what a legend of Ugandan football he remains. Obua played much of his football at Police FC back in the 1970s, and one thing about him that stood out was his electric left foot.

No one comes close to the kind of attributes that Obua had, according to football commentator, Tom Ddamulira. He notes: “As a left winger, he was fast. He was such a good dribbler, who beat his opponents with so much ease, and craft. He was a clever player that tormented defences, and scored loads of goals throughout a top career.”

Obua represented Uganda at a couple of Africa Cup of Nations tournaments back in the 1970s, and did not only enliven Ugandan spectators with his amazing and rare talent, he produced a son, David Obua, who, inevitably picked on his father’s genes to leave the current generation of football fans waxing lyrical of what a star he was, too!

While there is not much said about Moses Nsereko, a midfielder that was part of Uganda’s Africa Cup of Nations squads in 1976 and 1978, it would be an abomination to underestimate the influence this man, who passed on in the early 1990s, had on Ugandan football.

He was a one team man, and that is KCCA FC. Yet, that is not necessarily what made him special. Nsereko was a midfielder of top quality. A ball winner, an enforcer, a creator and a formidable goal-scorer.

Football journalist Hassan Badru Zziwa describes Nsereko as a leader of fine qualities, too. But above all, a really talented football player during his hey days, when he won 4 league titles and 4 Uganda Cups.

Zziwa says that Nsereko was a go-to player for both club an country; the kind who popped up whenever hard times had set in, and the team needed inspiration. Yet, Zziwa adds that Nsereko, because of his unassuming personality, the kind of individual who just did his job and never sought so much of the limelight, remains an unsung hero!

That said, Nsereko is renown for being instrumental in several game defining moments for both his club and country, to a point that even after he retired from being an active footballer, he took over the administrative reigns at KCCA FC, before joining FUFA.

To Nsereko, the end justified the means. He did anything and everything for his team to win. In a nutshell, Nsereko was so good to a point that some KCCA FC faithful actually felt their stadium should have been named after him.

The late Kirunda was commonly referred to as Uganda’s Kaiser in special reference to the German one, Franz Beckenbauer. Not only did they play in the same era, but the two shared similar attributes, especially as leaders on and off the field.

Such was the influence of Kirunda, that for many years during his playing days for both club and country, he was viewed as the coach on the field. He was Uganda’s captain at the 1978 Africa Cup of Nations, where the Cranes hit their peak moment, finishing as runners-up.

Kirunda was elegance personified, as he was one of those players that enjoyed having the ball at their feet, and used it smartly. But at the same time, because of his height, he was such an imposing personality in the penalty area, both defensively and offensively.

In fact, it was because of his wittiness in attack, that when his club, KCCA FC suffered several injuries in attack back in 1978, his coach at the time, Bidandi Ssali, a former politician, shifted Kirunda to lead the attack.

It is a move that paid dividends, as Kirunda emerged as league top-scorer with 32 goals, a record that stood until 1999, when Andrew “Fimbo” Mukasa broke it with his 45 league goals.

But on top of the record Kirunda set, he inspired KCCA to lots of silverware, and it is no surprise he is much revered at the club. His name is one of the few that is adorned around the KCCA FC ground in Lugogo, called the MTN Omondi stadium.

Depending on which side of the divide you were, SC Villa or KCCA FC, Jackson Mayanja and the late Magid Musisi have split opinion. While it is a discussion quelled by the kind of domineering displays Musisi put up on the continent for both club and country, the close friendship between those two former football stars also went a long way in bringing their varying fans together.

In the end, it watered down any debates on who was better than the other. Yet, one still simmers underneath like a volcano preparing to erupt. The Jackson Mayanja and Steven Bogere one. There are many Ugandan football fans from 30 years ago, who believe that Bogere was an absolute gem; one of a kind.

You see, it is not usual to find a situation where football commentators on radio mentioned one single player two times in a single move, indicating that he had passed the ball to himself.

Well, that was Bogere; a rare one. Former radio Uganda football commentator, Charles Byekwaso was so in awe of Bogere, to a point that when he dribbled, raced with the ball, and moved it from his right foot to the left, he went on to say: “Bogere to Bogere”.

To an ordinary listener, they would think the Uganda Cranes or SC Villa, for whom Bogere represented diligently in the late 1980s and 1990s, had two players called Bogere; where one passed the ball to the other. But far from it. It was one and the same player.

That is how good this fellow was. An artist of great quality and finesse; a dribbling wizard. According to former KCCA FC manager, Mike Mutebi, Bogere is absolutely one of the top ones Uganda has produced.

In fact, without mincing words, Mutebi said a few years ago, that Bogere was definitely better than Mayanja. But his undoing was that he did not score goals as frequently as Mayanja did, yet created many. Mutebi made a reference, when he said that once you watch the Spanish legend, Andres Iniesta, you have Bogere.

Mayanja was considered the antidote for Hasule. For all the qualities that Hasule had, Mayanja gave him a lot of trouble to stop. Yet, it is against this background, that they formed a good friendship over the years. It was a case class meeting class each time the two clashed in those historical KCCA FC and SC Villa games.

Yet, no player in the modern time illuminated as much class as Mayanja did. The grace with which he played was probably unmatched, something that made watching him at Nakivubo stadium an unforgettable movie. Think about that film, that you watched over and over again, yet did not tire.

Was it the Sound of Music, Terminator or one of the James Bond blockbusters? That was the feeling watching Mayanja exuded. He was fearless and cocky; a mark of the belief he had in himself. That made him a great danger to opponents, as he took on anyone and any size of opponent.

Mayanja was the big game player, always the man for the great occasion, where you expected many to freeze. No wonder, he is much adored at El-Masry in Egypt because of how his presence at the club, propelled it to a level where they could challenge the status-quo of Zamelek and Al-Ahly, the supreme sides of Egyptian football.

It was against that background, that he was codenamed, Mia-Mia, meaning 100%. In essence, he was perfect and without question as far as the El-Masry fans were concerned.

To break it down, Mayanja was a stylish footballer, who dribbled passed opponents with ease. He was two-footed. He created goals and scored them in numbers. To make sense of what Mayanja was, watch Gianfranco Zola, and you will see Mayanja.

Not only was Mayanja and the Italian maestro similar in size. But the footballing brain and ultimate attributes were largely separated by skin colour.

It is 19 years now since Hasule passed on. But not many individuals have been as decorated as Hasule was as both a player and a coach. That is what made him special. Yet, even more importantly, he was an outstanding leader both on and off the pitch.

Hasule, who was born in 1958 started his career back at Mbale Heroes. But even with all the love he had for football, he was a focused student, who pursued his education up to Makerere University. He was a rare individual, considering that he grew up at a time, when footballers rarely took academics seriously.

Once they got into football, they never looked back at anything else. Yet, Hasule was able to secure his Bachelors. That, in many ways, formed his leadership qualities, as Hasule proved during his playing career.

In fact, many believe he is the best skipper Cranes has ever had. He inspired not only through the words he spoke to team-mates, but his actions on the field.

Hasule was not only a very intelligent football player, considering how versatile he was. If you did not know, through his career, he played as a striker, winger, midfielder and across the back-line with great aplomb. He was a coach’s kind of player; the coach-player. Because of limited video recordings during his playing days, if you did not watch Hasule play, what a miss it is for you.

But to bring you closer to what V8 was, (as Hasule was famously referred to, after that beastly, all terrain conquering Toyota Land-cruiser vehicle), look at France’s Lillian Thuram. He was a rock-solid defender that marauded the wings, delivered precise crosses and deft passes to the forwards. His free-kicks were also incisive.

With such attributes, he inspired a lot of SC Villa’s domestic and continental success, albeit leading Cranes with distinction, too. For many years, he was referred to as Mr. SC Villa. In fact, many believed that a Jogoo side without him was incapacitated. That assertion was never tested since he was ever present.

Even when injured, Hasule played. Such determination only went on to confirm how he was leadership personified. No wonder Hasule built the last and finest SC Villa teams that had the likes of Hakim Magumba, Hassan Mubiru, Andrew Mukasa, Edgar Watson, Phillip Ssozi and Timothy Batabaire, among others. Hasule’s footprint saw that team win the league from 1998 to 2004. Of these seven titles, Hasule was at the helm in four.

The former Uganda Cranes goalkeeper probably does not need much introduction. His record speaks for itself. The only Ugandan footballer to be voted as the continent’s best goalkeeper. But at the same time, Africa’s best footballer plying their trade on the continent, back in 2016.

That is rich. It has been such a beautiful football story for Onyango. From small beginnings in Nsambya FC in the second tier of Ugandan football back in 2001 and 2002, to making the step to SC Villa in 2003, there was something special about Onyango, that former goalkeeping coach Fred ‘Giringi’ Lukwago saw in him.

Not only was it about his size and domineering presence, but his actual goalkeeping exploits; reflexes and shot-stopping have been a breath of fresh air. His longevity at the top level has only gone a long way to concretize Onyango’s legendary status.

Being the first Ugandan footballer to win the Caf Champions League in 2016, only added to a star status that was beginning to blossom. And more significantly, Onyango did this not as a passenger being carried, but a key cog in the Mamelodi Sundowns team. Winning has been Onyango’s mantra, picking up a record 10 league championships in South Africa.

One could say that Onyango’s rise was also aided by the several quality players he has had around him at Mamelodi Sundowns. Yet, what cannot be discounted is his contribution to inspiring The Cranes to the 2017 and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

For many years, Onyango was Cranes’ poster-boy, and although Uganda has had many top goalkeepers before in the likes of Sadiq Wassa and Paul Ssali, the records that Onyango has set over the years make him arguably Uganda’s best football player ever.

The former Kenyan striker, Henry Mutego said in 2013 during the 8th anniversary of Musisi’ death, that as far as he was concerned, the former SC Villa and Uganda Cranes forward only came second to Liberia’s George Weah in the 1990s, as Africa’s best striker.

That was indeed a significant tribute to a man who holds the record for being the Uganda Super League (now Uganda Premier League) top-scorer a record five times. In fact, Musisi did not only stop at that, he went on to make his mark on the continent, a big reason why Mutego took him in high regard.

But at the same time, Musisi was on the shortlist of Caf’s top players a few times during his illustrious career. In fact, by the time he left SC Villa, to join Stade Rennes in France, back in 1992, he was among the top five African players. That is not something many Ugandan players can boast about.

For Musisi it was never about individual glory. But he won several Cecafa championships with the national team on top of what he did with SC Villa. His goals led the Jogoos to two club continental finals. First, against Club Africain of Tunisia in 1991 in the Caf Champions League and in 1992 against Shooting Stars of Nigeria in the Caf Confederation Cup.

Musisi was your ultimate winner. Not only did he score loads of goals, but also scored eye-catching goals. He was a beast in the penalty area. But also scored scorchers from distance.

That made him a difficult one to stop. He could run with the ball for distance and could beat his man. In many ways, he was the complete forward.

Although Mutego, who was also an equally deadly forward having had several clashes with Musisi, when Kenya Breweries at the time, now known as Tusker FC faced off with SC Villa or the Harambee Stars clashed with The Cranes, compared “Magic Magid” to Weah in style of play and attributes, there is probably a more closer comparison.

Musisi was athletic, physical, crafty, and a clinical finisher. A generational centre-forward that Uganda may never have again. To contextualize Musisi today, he was what one would see in former Ivory Coast striker, Didier Drogba. The Chelsea legend is actually the kind that compares to Musisi- a carbon copy, in fact.

Not one I had a chance to watch physically, though. But the few video clips, particularly the ones recorded at the 1978 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana, where Uganda finished with silver, showed what a talent Omondi was.

At this championship, Omondi could have easily been voted the Most Valuable Player had Uganda won the tournament. He scored three goals, yet he also dazzled. His dribbling and passing were a piece of art that left many in the stadium in awe.

Ghana football legend, Abedi Pele, father to English Premier League players Andre Ayew and Jordan Ayew said 10 years ago during a visit to Uganda, that watching Omondi in 1978, inspired him to become a footballer.

Pele loved what he saw in Omondi; the flair, guile, panache and goal-scoring abilities were incredible. Omondi may not have been the quickest on the ball, let alone a fighter, but his ability was compared to a combination of Nigerian football legend, JJ Okocha and Brazil’s Ronaldo.