Africa-Press – Uganda. They were all captains of sorts – Sam Musenze at KCCA, Nafas Ouma at UCB FC and John Jumba was an assistant captain at SC Villa.The three were primarily left backs who could however loiter around the pitch. Remarkable at man marking, good game readers and above all could use both legs with distinction and many a time played as right backs, too! Their soccer displays indeed excited fellow players and fans alike. Find out who was better.
SAM MUSENZE
Nicknamed “Nakachawa” a ladies’ name for his femalish hairstyle. The late Sam Musenze is KCCA’s longest serving captain having replaced William Mindrea in 1974 and relinquishing the arm band to Charlers Masiko in mid-80s.
Because of his dedicated services to the club, he was given the honour of “life captain” up to the time of his death in 1994 while Charles Masiko used to be referred to simply as “field captain’’.
Musenze started playing football as his main profession in 1971 with American Insurance FC before joining KCCA FC in 1973.At KCCA, he had a relatively slow start but after improving his game, he changed the way the left back position was viewed at club and national team level.
When KCCA joined the elite league in 1974, and with former captain Mindrea sustaining a serious injury, players were asked to choose their captain and without hesitation everyone pointed at Musenze.
He was one player that was so friendly to everyone and used to crack jokes that amused teammates. It was Musenze that in 1976 captained KCCA to its first league title and featured in almost all matches enroute to the championship.Musenze became well-known for sliding tackles and making wall passes past opponents. Though somehow slow for a left back, his marvelous game reading gave rise to greater expectations.
A story is told of a league match involving KCCA and Coffee at Nakivubo stadium during the 80s. Coffee’s Edward Baguma, who was a master of aerial duels, rushed to the KCCA goal area when his team was preparing to take a corner kick.
Tightly marked by Musenze, the two jumped and collided in mid-air with Baguma getting a cut on the head.Baguma later bitterly complained to the referee that Musenze was playing with a sharp object hidden in his afro hairstyle, something the referee rejected and said that Musenze had simply exhibited his great stamina.
Musenze was liked by both teammates and fans alike, especially those residing in the Najjanakumbi neighbourhood, along the Kampala-Entebbe highway, where he lived.
Being the club captain, he was entitled to making the rules on the team bus. He gave Najjanankumbi residents free rides whenever the bus dropped and picked him.
On the pitch, Musenze captained KCCA to league titles in 1976 and 1977 in addition to winning the Uganda Cup of 1978.In 1978, they won the regional Cecafa Club Championship becoming the first Ugandan club to do so.KCCA defeated Simba of Tanzania in spot kicks to win the title and later the overjoyed guest of hour who happened to be president Idi Amin Dada.
Musenze received the trophy from him at a packed Nakivubo stadium. With Uganda Cranes, Musenze won the 1976 and 1977 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup.
That team went on reach the 1978 Afcon final, losing to Ghana. Musenze went to Ghana as second choice to Ashe Mukasa at the left back.
The group’s opening match between Morocco and Tunisia demonstrated the superiority of the two North African teams, something that left Mukasa shaken and murmuring.
Cranes coach Peter Okee heard Mukasa commenting on the gulf between them and Uganda who everyone expected to be the whipping boys of the tournament.Since Okee always always preferred brave and courageous players, he picked Musenze over Mukasa at the left back.
Since that day, Musenze became Uganda Cranes undisputed number three. During that tournament, Musenze did score Uganda’s consolation goal in a 3-1 loss to Tunisia.
Joyful Moment: Former Ugandan president Idi Amin Dada (L) presenting KCCA captain Sam Musenze with the Cecafa Clubs Cup won in 1978 at Nakivubo Stadium. Above is Musenze before a Cranes match. PHOTOS/COURTESY.
Musenze factfile (Achievements)
JOHN JUMBA
Jumba joined SC Villa in 1981 from Coffee along with Rogers Ssemere. A year later, Jamil Kasirye, Dan Lutalo, Paul Hasule, Jimmy Kirunda, Jimmy Sserwambala, Shaban Mwinda, Rogers Nsubuga, Godfrey Kisitu and Fred Serwada also came in. Together, Villa became the first Ugandan club to go an entire league season unbeaten. In that team, Jumba featured in all positions.
One of Jumba’s biggest advantages was his ambidexterity. At his peak, Jumba took every penalty Villa earned. He will ever be remembered for skillfully taking two in one continental match way back in 1984.
In that year’s African Cup Winners Cup, Villa eliminated Costa Dol Sol of Madagascar in the first round and later Scarlet of Kenya in round two.
The quarter final pitted them against defending champions Arab Contractors (today now known as El Mokawloon SC) of Egypt.Villa lost the first leg 1-0 in Cairo. In the return encounter played at Bugembe, Villa won 2-1 to exit on away goals’ rule. Both Villa goals were penalties converted by Jumba. Apart from this, Jumba had a good game and proved a thorn in the Arabs’ defence, narrowly missing two scoring opportunities.
Apart from that Arab Contractors upset, Jumba was also part of the SC Villa team that earlier in 1983 faced rough waters in the 1983 Africa Cup of Champion Clubs.In the quarter final, Villa faced Nkana Red Devils of Zambia, a club that no Ugandan side has ever eliminated from any continental championship.
Nkana beat SC Villa in both legs 2-1 at Nakivubo and 4-0 in Kitwe during the return leg. That was at a time of nearing his end. Geoffrey Higenyi and Yusuf Ssonko permanently took over the full back positions.
NAFAS OUMA
Defence Kingpin: Ouma was a rock-solid defender that hardly got injured. He captained UCB after the departure of Martin Ochaga and won the league in 1979. PHOTO/COURTESY.
Ouma was an influential member of the UCB FC team that made history in 1979 by clinching the national league.That team had quality in Jimmy Bbosa Jnr. Dan Lutalo, Patrick Kigongo, Martin Ochaga, Fred Sserwadda, Jimmy Muguwa, Holmes
Mulindwa, Steven Baruku, Sam Okiror and Fred Musisi.Former UCB coach Kurtson “Big Ben” Omoding this week told Sunday Monitor that Ouma played a big role in UCB’s 1979 title triumph.
“He had an excellent game reading and would just look at an opponent and tell where his pass would go. This boy would thus easily intercept such passes. He was very speedy and surely a gifted footballer,” Big Ben reminisced.
According to him, just like the case with most UCB players of the time, he trained Ouma to play in defence, the midfield and even move forward to score. “Ouma had rare leadership qualities and carried out the donkey work to enable UCB get results and because of this I had no choice but to name him the team’s captain,” he explained.
Ouma will go down in history for being among the most capped league players of his generation. For almost a decade he played every league match for UCB year after year.He was a very strong player and hardly got injured. Ouma was ambidextrous even though the left one appeared to be more powerful.
There were miserable situations when UCB seemed to be losing. Most team players rarely lost hope when Ouma was on the pitch.All they did was to give one particular player as many passes as possible and this was him. Everyone played the ball to him in the hope of magic.
As if possessed with a mysterious spirit, Ouma would move away from his defence line and make dangerous overlaps into the opponents’ territory dribbling past defenders to score important goals. When it came to taking penalty kicks, it was always Ouma. He is among the very few players known never to have missed scoring even a single penalty kick.
Ouma factfile (Achievements)
