Africa-Press – Uganda. Better late than never – the old idiom might as well have been written for Emmanuel Anyama.
When he joined KCCA from Kaaro Karungi last September, replacing the outgoing Muhammad Shaban, few thought the lanky, raw striker would live up to the billing. In fact, many doubted he belonged at a club of such pedigree.
But football, like life, often scripts unlikely comebacks. And now, as Uganda prepares to host its maiden continental Chan tournament at Namboole, Anyama will don shirt number 17 for the Uganda Cranes.
It is a story that reflects not just one man’s determination, but the unpredictable, rewarding, yet often cruel nature of Ugandan football.
From afterthought to boss
When Anyama arrived, he was a distant third-choice behind seasoned strikers Derrick Nsibambi and Sadat Anaku. He spent the early months warming the bench, his name barely whispered by fans or pundits.
His adaptation to top-flight football was anything but smooth, and his early performances did little to inspire confidence.
But by April, something clicked. Jackson Magera, entrusted with steadying the KCCA ship, turned to the gangly forward – and Anyama answered.
With well-timed, poacher-like goals, he propelled the Kasasiro Boys to the Uganda Cup final, scoring vital goals against SC Villa, Lugazi, and Kataka.
Though they fell short to Vipers at Kadiba Stadium, Anyama had emerged as a silent force, a striker with both grit and instinct.
In just 11 appearances, he netted seven goals, clocking only 522 minutes. This efficiency – scoring once every 74 minutes – made him impossible to ignore.
Cranes open arms
Ugandan football has long had open arms for players who bloom late or shine brightly for a short spell. That’s part of its DNA. And in this landscape, where form often trumps name, Anyama’s purple patch opened the national team door.
In Arusha, during the pre-Chan friendlies, he was granted a start ahead of the established Ivan Ahimbisibwe and Yunus Sentamu against Senegal.
He impressed with pressing, aerial strength, and that classic striker’s hunger.The Chan squad slot became his to lose – and he didn’t.
“It’s by the grace of God that I made it to the final squad,” he told Fufa media. “It takes a lot of determination and hard work.”
With Algeria, Guinea, Niger, and South Africa lying in wait in Group C, Uganda will need a forward with presence. Anyama, with his imposing frame and momentum, might just be that surprise card. But history urges caution.
Graveyard of one-hit wonders
Ugandan football’s past is littered with stories like Anyama’s – meteoric rises followed by sudden falls.
The 2014 Chan edition saw Yunus Sentamu, then an unheralded Vipers striker, picked as a last-minute replacement for Portugal-bound Patrick Edema. He went on to score three goals, earning a move abroad and national stardom.
“I was nervous. There were so many quality players – Crespo Asiku, Joseph Mpande, Vincent Kayizzi – I didn’t expect to play,” Sentamu recently recalled. That’s the fairy tale side.
But for every Sentamu, there is a Simon Sserunkuma (2011), Francis Olaki (2016), Seif Batte (2018), or Brian Aheebwa and Ben Ocen (2020) – players who rode a wave of good form into the national team, only to fade when the stakes got higher. Pressure, inconsistency, or sheer bad luck curtailed their promise.
Even the most recent edition – Chan 2022 held in 2023 – featured breakout talents like Travis Mutyaba, Rogers Mato, and Frank Ssebufu. Some rose, others sank under the weight of expectations.
Anyama, the newest member of this unpredictable carousel, must tread wisely.
Work in progress
Ugandan football remains, unmistakably, a work in progress. The structures are shaky, the scouting erratic, and the selection process often reactive rather than proactive.
But it is also a place of opportunity. For those who grind, persist, and seize the moment – like Anyama – it offers real reward.
That is the paradox: a system that can catapult you from obscurity to the national team in just seven games, but just as easily forget you after a poor tournament or dip in form.
As Uganda gears up to host Chan for the first time on home soil, the spotlight shines on players like Anyama – not because they have walked a predictable path, but because they embody the very spirit of Ugandan football. Resilient. Raw. Rebellious.
Now, it’s up to him to decide whether he will be another name in the long list of flashes in the pan, or a new chapter in Uganda’s emerging football narrative.
Because in this game, being late to the party doesn’t mean you can’t be the life of it.
Anyama at a glance
Name: Emmanuel Anyama
Position: Forward
Born: July 14, 1998
Former clubs: Kaaro Karungi, Adjumani, Kochi Urban
Current club; KCCA
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