Africa-Press – Uganda. The Artists. Joseph Mutyaba, Phillip Musoke and Robert Aloro primarily played for fun and earned a huge following while at Express FC. These were attacking midfielders who became synonymous with scoring important goals. They were also ball players, with stamina and penetrated defences easily.
JOSEPH MUTYABA
Mutyaba was one of the most enterprising attacking midfielders to grace Ugandan football during the 90s, winning trophies with Express, SC Villa and URA. He dominated the 1996 Afcon qualifying campaign, scoring thrice. Just like Magid Musisi, Mutyaba is one of the few who scored on their national team debut. His first Cranes match came on October 15, 1994 and it was an Afcon qualifier against Ethiopia when coah Polly Ouma included him in the team.
Mutyaba opened the scoring for the Cranes in the 58th minute with Fred Tamale, Ibrahim Buwembo and George Semogerere adding on three others in a comfortable 4-1 win.He would go on to score Uganda’s second goal in the next match against Tanzania for the Cranes to win 2-0. Philip Obwiny got the other.
However, Mutyaba’s most remarkable goal during the qualification campaign came on June 2, 1995 in a tough away match against Algeria. He equalized on 78 minutes for a 1-all draw.The return to Algeria during the 1998 Afcon qualifiers wasn’t as pretty. Cranes conced six in a 6-0 drubbing with Mutyaba on the pitch.The Cranes finished the campaign bottom of the table with just six points. Tunisia, Algeria and Liberia were the other teams.
In the regional Cceafa Senior Challenge Cup, Mutyaba scored three goals for the Cranes in 1994 but at the same time missed a decisive penalty during the shoot out for the Cranes to lose in the final against Tanzania. In 1996 Joseph Mutyaba played an influential role when the Cranes won the Cecafa title on Sudanese soil.
At club level, he excelled even more. The first club Mutyaba played for was Entebbe Works. It was from here in 1990 that he was summoned to play for the U-18 youth team and was part of the team that represented Uganda in the regional tournament held in Sudan. In 1992, Mutyaba was invited to train with Express under coach David Otti. He had to wait until 1993 to make his debut for the Red Eagles against Sudan’s Al Hilal in the Cecafa Club Championship.His career kicked of thereafter as Express won the league in 1993, 1995 and 1996 plus the Uganda Cup in 1994, 1995 and 1997 before joining Villa in 1998. At Villa, Mutyaba won the league and cup double in his first season. Mutyaba also played for URA and won the Uganda Cup with them in 2005. MUTYABA FACTFILE(ACHIEVEMENTS)l He played for Entebbe Works FC. l He joined Entebbe Works from secondary school (Entebbe SSS).l He won league titles with Express FC in 1993, 1995 and 1996.l He won Uganda Cup titles with Express FC in 1994, 1995, 1997 and 2001.l He won a National League title and Cup with SC Villa in 1998.l He won the Uganda Cup with URA in 2005.l He won the Cecafa with Cranes in 1996.l He scored in his Cranes debut match against Ethiopian in 1994. against Ethiopia
Golden Memories. The Express FC team that won the 1985 Uganda Cup at Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium after beating KCCA FC 3-1 in the final. Standing L-R; Abdu Mawejje (Team Manager), Fred Mukasa, Isaac Nkaada, Jimmy Muguwa, Dan Lutalo, Moses Ndawula, George Serunjogi, Ronald Kabogoza, Enos Agogo, Ceaser Lukalu, Frank Anyau, and Patrick Kiwanuka (Express chairman) Squatting L-R: Joseph Kiwanuka, Philip Musoke (also circled), Steven Segujja, Yusuf Gitta, Joachim Matovu, Paul Nkata, Kiggundu “Wachango” and Vincent Bbaale Mugera (vice chairman). PHOTO/COURTESY
PHILLIP MUSOKE
That Musoke was the only top Ugandan player to have been nicknamed ‘Maradona’ demonstrates how special he was. Musoke, who now lives in the United Kingdom, first played for a team in the Wandegeya neighbourhood then crossed over to Jinja-based Nytil. According to the former Nytil and Cranes goalkeeper Patrick Lukalu that played alongside him, Musoke like so many players in Kampala was attracted to Jinja because of something it offered.
“Jinja based clubs had a major advantage over most Kampala clubs in that apart from playing football they offered players jobs to its players,” Lukalu remembers of Musoke who joined in 1980. There, he formed a partnership with Sekatawa. Musoke shredded defences with his passing that enabled the latter bag hordes of goals.“He was a bit short but very strong and confident while on the pitch,” Lukalu adds.
While at Nytil, Musoke Musoke is said to have been an admirer of former Italian World Cup star Paolo Rossi and used to wear jersey number 20. “Philip would always offer advice to fellow players and team administrators on the best strategies to enable them win matches,” Lukalu recalls.
When Sekatawa left Nytil for Express in 1982, Musoke followed him. Fred ‘Gaso’ Musoke who played with Musoke at Express describes him having been in a class of those highly gifted players like Philip Omondi, Stephen Bogere, Jackson Mayanja and probably Joachim Matovu. “He was not nicknamed Maradona for nothing. Musoke was good at everything; passing, ball control, a dribbler, name it all,” Gaso says.
His style made him prone to tackles and he often confronted defenders who came hard at him.He was such good player. A true artist of the game that he was revered by many people; both players and fans in Uganda and across the region. His name will always be remembered.ROBERT ALORO
Aloro was so different from many a footballer. Excelling on the pitch and in academics concurrently. In 1988, Aloro, then in A-Level at Kibuli SSS, turned down a summon to the national team, Uganda Cranes, as they prepared for a Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup tournament in Malawi. Former UCB FC coach and Cranes player Kurtson “Big Ben” Omoding feels proud of such serious students that in future land white collar jobs. Omoding resides in Mukono and a few years back went to the Uganda Revenue Authority offices in the area to pay his dues tax.
“While in the premises I joined a long queue only to see a Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) worker approaching me and saying I was not supposed to be in the queue. She informed me that her boss wanted to see me and led me to his office,” Omoding told this reporter.
On reaching the office, he found former Express and Cranes midfielder Aloro smartly dressed in a suit and marching neck tie. After completing his A-level, Aloro proceeded on to Nakawa College of Commerce (today’s Makekere University Business School) where he pursued a higher diploma in Marketing.
Balancing academics and football was always his mantra. He once rented a house at Kabuusu in Lubaga division from where he used to go to Nakawa for lectures.Born in Nsambya, Aloro attended St. Charles Lwanga SSS in Koboko, his home district. The 1979 war that forced out President Idi Amin Dada found him there.
The family fled to exile in DR Congo and only returned after four years and relocated to Kampala and the little boy was spotted by Nsambya FC and then national youth coach John Baptist Ssemanobe. In order not to lose him to bigger clubs, Nsambya found Aloro a school and pay his fees. He spent a few weeks at Uganda Martyrs SSS, Lubaga before switching to Kings College Budo where he sat for his O-Level.
For his A-Level, Aloro joined Kibuli SSS and made his league debut for Nsambya while still a student there in 1985.He was summoned to Cranes in 197, then aged 21. Aloro made his Cranes’ debut at the 1989 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup which Uganda won for the first time since 1977.From that moment, Aloro became an influential member of the team for the years that followed, playing in almost every Afcon or World Cup qualification game.
In the historic 1994 Afcon qualifying game at Nakivubo against Nigeria, Aloro received the ball at the edge of the Nigerian box in the 62nd minute and was brought down as he attempted to surge forward towards the Nigerian goal. The referee pointed to the spot but unfortunately, Adam Semugabi failed to score for the match to end in a draw and to the advantage of the Nigerians.
ROBERT ALORO
At Club level, Aloro left Nsambya to join Express in 1990 and was part of the team that won the league in 1993 league and two Uganda Cups in 1991 and1992 alongside Issa Sekatawa, Alex Nyola, Umaru Senoga, George Ssemwogerere and Kefa Kisala.
After retiring, Aloro once served as Express’ team manager during the era of coach Dragan Popadic. He was also once appointed as the U-14 national team manager.In July 2001, Aloro declined Fufa’s appointment to handle the Cranes team saying he was too busy with work besides the terms of reference not being indicated during the appointment.
ALORO FACTFILE (ACHIEVEMENTS)
l He played for Nsambya FC and Express FC. l He trained and played for Nsambya FC while a student at King’s College Budo and Kibuli SSS. l He won the league with Express in 1993. l He won the Uganda Cup with Express FC in 1991 and 1992. l He won the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup title with Cranes three times; 1989, 1990 and 1992 l He was once appointed coach for National U-14 Youth Team. l He once served as Team Manager for Express FC. l He was in 2018 appointed as one of the board members of Express FC.
