Africa-Press – Uganda. Morley Byekwaso and Phillip Ssozi were part of the backbone of their clubs and the Uganda Cranes during their generation while Haruna Mawa was a real ball player at KCCA. The trio had an advantage of being two-footed, who could play on either side of the pitch effectively making each a jack of all trades as attacking midfielders, wingers or forwards.
MORLEY BYEKWASO
Byekwaso was born in Luzira suburb of Kampala. Tom Lwanga, his former coach at KCCA during the 90s, describes him as one of the most hardworking players he has ever seen.
“He was so industrious on the pitch, someone who hardly talked but instead left the feet to do it for him. He was lucky to be a two footed player with both capable of unleashing dangerous shots at the opponents’ goal,” Lwanga describes.
Former KCCA star Jackson Mayanja spoke of the time he linked up with Byekwaso upon his return from North Africa in the mid-90s. “I played with him both as a teammate and later as a coach-player. Byekwaso had a big work rate, was a good passer of the ball, had speed and above all could shoot at goal,” Mayanja reminisces.
Though primarily left-footed, Byekwaso was able to play at both flanks, seven and 11. In addition, he excelled as an old-fashioned number eight. Shredding defences and scoring goals. With devastating speed, Byekwaso could move the ball forward towards goal and times taking defenders unaware by scoring important goals.
For several years, Byekwaso was loyal to KCCA, the club that spotted and groomed him. He was first a ball boy, a tale similar to the late club legend Moses Nsereko. In 1994, former KCCA defender Patrick Kabuye brought Byekwaso to Lugogo and requested then-coach Fred Mugisha to consider signing the talented boy.
He was 15! Mugisha turned down the request though allowed him to train. The following period experienced a number of changes at Lugogo with coaches easily coming and leaving.
In 1996 Mike Mutebi, joined KCCA as assistant coach and put pressure on coach Mugisha to give the gifted boy a chance. He resisted.
Luckily for Byekwaso, Mugisha and team manager Godfrey Kisekka resigned following the club’s poor performance. Then, Sam Ssimbwa, the club’s best midfielder retired.Byekwaso got his chance as Mutebi became the head coach. This marked the reign of Byekwaso as a pillar in the club’s midfield.
Towards the end of the 1997 season, Mutebi left and Lwanga took charge. KCCA went on to win the league on the very last day of the season with Byekwaso playing an influential role.
At KCCA, he paired well with the likes of Mohammed Byansi, Haruna Mawa and Godfrey Mugisha to bring the title to Lugogo after a length drought going back to 1991. In 2001, the unthinkable happened when Byekwaso parted ways with the club he had adored all along. To the anger and surprise of the KCCA fans, Byekwaso went on to join their rivals SC Villa.
At his new club, he went on to win four league titles in 2001, 2003, 2003 and 2004. He added 2002 Uganda Cup, beating Express 2-1 in the final. For Uganda, Byekwaso was part of an ‘all-star’ Under-23 team that participated in the 1999 All African Games in South Africa alongside Ibrahim Sekagya, Sulaiman Tenywa, Hassan Mubiru, Andrew Fimbo Mukasa, Willy Kyambadde, Phillip Ssozi, Wilber Musika, Aggrey Bigala, Hakim Magumba and Abubaker Tabula. Together they reached the semifinals.
For the senior team, he was first invited in 1996 at the age of 18 during the reign of Asuman Lubowa as coach and made his debut against Ethiopia during the 1998 Nations Cup qualifiers. Byekwaso has had a rich coaching CV. He was assistant to Matia Lule at KCCA in 2010 and later took over before the return of George Nsimbe. In 2012, he was assistant to George Nsimbe before moving to SC Victoria University FC the following year where he was at first assistant to coach to Alex Isabirye and later took over as head coach.Currently, Byekwaso is the Uganda U-20 Hippos oach and KCCA assistant coach.
Byekwaso factfile (Achievements)
Coach’s Dream:
Byekwaso has a fairytale storyline having started out as a ball-boy. He boasts of a glittering career as both player and coach – something that many pundits attribute to his character as a disciplined sportsman.
Byekwaso won won five league titles and two Uganda Cups as a player and is currently married to Grace Kyazike Ssempebwa. The couple has two daughters.
PHILLIP SSOZI
B orn in Lukuli-Makindye, Ssozi shares a birth place with some ex-national stars in Hassan Mubiru and George Semogerere.
Ssozi has something in common with Byekwaso and Mawa for having been ambidextrous. If there is anything Ugandan fans will ever remember Ssozi for then this must be his ability to drive the ball with supersonic speed. He enjoyed another big advantage of having been an outstanding dribbler and good crosser. He was lucky to have begun his serious footballing career at a big club like SC Villa in late in the 90s and made the U-23 team instantly.
Later, Ssozi grabbed another chance of being nurtured by Serbian coach Micho Sredojevic, then an upstart when he joined Villa. Micho is credited for raising the bar that got many ex-Villa players into professional football. That era that transitioned to foreign lands includes Nestroy Kizito, Posnet Omwony, Timothy Batabaire and Denis Onyabgo among others. For long, many of these formed the backbone of the Uganda Cranes. At Villa, Ssozi won the league in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 plus two Uganda Cups in 1998 and 2000.
He later relocated to Serbia to feature for FK Srem in division two where he had a short stint before moving to Rwanda’s APR and being part of the team that won the 2005 league.
It should be recalled that Ssozi was among the seven Villa players that were included in the national U-23 team that in 1999 participated in the All Africa Games in South Africa. The others were; Andrew ‘Fimbo’ Mukasa, Andrew Jombwe, Aggrey Bigala, Abubaker Tabula, Hakim Magumba and Hassan Mubiru. Ssozi would go on to make 26 appearances for the senior team.
As they say, that there is no man without a dent. Ssozi had shortfalls. For instance; while at SK Srem in 2004, he devoted little time to football resorting to a “Maharaja” lifestyle – lavish lifestyle synonymous with Indian royalty. This was one of the reasons the club later showed him the door. When, he returned to Uganda in 2005, Villa re-signed him only for Ssozi to disappear to APR. By now, he appeared overweight. Upon leaving Rwanda, Ssozi joined Express to join Byekwaso and Mubiru then claimed having not been paid as he skipped training regularly.
Ssozi factfile (Achievements)
Man Of Faith:
Ssozi always believed in his ability to execute and excel despite not being the most naturally gifted of his generation.
HARUNA MAWA
Mawa is described by Lwanga, his former coach at KCCA, as one of the most gifted footballers he has ever handled.
“He was a ball player and very unique. Mawa could do anything with the ball and used both feet so well,” Lwanga says. He found it easy scoring goals and played on both flanks. He developed the knack of scoring from set pieces too.
UPDF FC assistant coach Pius Ngabo says he will never forget the role Mawa played when KCCA beat SC Villa 2-0 to win the 1997 league on the last day of the season.
“I remember a corner kick he skillfully executed and went straight into the Villa net,” Ngabo recalls. He was one of the most complete footballers of his generation.
However, Mawa’s talent was always overshadowed by controversy and honesty. Coaches bore the brunt of his actions. For that, he didn’t make any of the national teams.In 1999, the national U-23 Kobs coach Leo Adraa summoned him to the team but Mawa turned down the invitation saying he was over-age.
Then, Cranes coach Asuman Lubowa flashed him for claiming he was a Kenyan not Ugandan when called to the team.
At KCCA, Mawa would skip training sessions for days only to resurface boasting to be ‘a new CD’ that was going to outshine all other players.
Even then, he was so talented that coaches still picked him. On days when Mawa would not be named in the starting team, he refused sitting on the bench and stayed away entirely.
As coach, while managing Doves All Star FC in the Fufa Big League, Mawa was found guilty by the Fufa disciplinary panel for using foul language towards referees and was banned for one game. Mawa took to his official Facebook account and made an improper and derogatory statements against match officials after the match between Kataka and Doves All Stars.
On the academic front, Mawa earned a Diploma in business studies from Mubs. He would later return to coach the university team. He has also coached Victoria University and the Somalia national team.
Mawa factfile (Achievements)
Controversial:
In 1999, the national U-23 Kobs coach Leo Adraa summoned him to the team but Mawa turned down the invitation saying he was over-age.Then, Cranes coach Asuman Lubowa flashed him for claiming he was a Kenyan not Ugandan when called to the team.
Flawed Genius:
Mawa’s skills and talent were never in doubt but it was his temperament that left many of his teammates and coaches cursing.
What others say; by Innocent Ndawula
Mark Ssali – NCS Council MemberByekwaso was talented and also had discipline and application. He took the game seriously. Even at an early age, he showed maturity and had a football brain. I suspected that he could be a coach one day. Of three, Mawa was the most naturally gifted. An extraordinary talent who didn’t know how good he was. Ssozi is the guy who played like he loved the game and could do anything to play.
Ismael Kiyonga – Wakiso Giants Publicist
Ssozi was the first Ugandan inverted winger. He has so much faith in himself and his ability. Byekwaso could rank as the most intelligent Ugandan footballer – positioning and discipline on and off the pitch. Mawa had a superstar character – scored goals but hardly paid attention to football. A dribbler, a crosser and a scorer of beautiful goals, Mawa had a bit of everything. He should have won more.
Michael Kigozi – Sports Commentator NBS
Byekwaso was a quieter character of all who didn’t hog headlines but was effective. Barely courted controversy yet his contemporaries did. He was level-headed. You have to give Mawa credit for breaking the barrier at a time when talent was picked from central region as he came from West Nile. At a time when physique ruled football, Ssozi broke through without size. The goal against Liberia was his highlight.
David Lumansi – Soccer Analyst (CBS & NTV)
Ssozi achieved more than all three for Villa and the national team, plus professional football in Europe. He committed opponents and got goals. Mawa knew so much football but chose what to give us. He was extremely crafty on the pitch. Byekwaso never played in his natural position enough as he was a number eight and 10 but played wide. Also, statistics were never on his side as he didn’t score enough.
