As with every promotion story, there is always that prolonged moment of bliss before biting reality sinks in. In the case of newly promoted Kitara FC, their brief time for celebration is now over with the new season on the horizon, writes MARK NAMANYA.
In normal times, this should be an off-season to savour for Kitara FC. The Bunyoro-based club earned promotion to the 2020-21 Uganda Premier League season after holding off Kiboga Young 1-0 in a tense Fufa Big League play-off final.
Every promotion is a reward for the hard yards put in, more so one achieved via the playoffs. To get to the final, Kitara had seen off Kataka in penalties while Kiboga eliminated Ndejje University 3-1 at the Njeru Technical Centre in Jinja.
For Kitara, last week’s victory was one to be particularly relished given how they came agonisingly close in the 2018 Big League playoffs when they fell at the final hurdle to Paidha Black Angels in a post-match shoot-out. Yet, unfortunately for Kitara, these are not normal times. These are unusual times. And Kitara must adjust accordingly, if the club harbour hopes of staying in topflight football beyond their first season.
The Covid-19 pandemic tore the usual UPL calendar to shreds. Never before has the league started this late. Never have we entered November while still in pre-season. As the last club to be promoted, Kitara will have least time to make the necessary recruitments required to cope with the demands of topflight football.
When The Observer contacted the club’s coach Mark Twinamatsiko, he sounded a man unsure of the direction the club is headed. The club have already lost striker George Ssenkaba to Express and midfielder Jamil Kisitu to Bright Stars; two players who were central to the club’s success.
“I can’t tell now how next season will be,” Twinamatsiko lamented. “We have lost players and I have to sit down with the CEO over the way forward.”
Twinamatsiko is fully aware of the yawning chasm between the Big League and UPL and is desperately hoping everyone around Kitara FC appreciates the difference.
“My fear is that the club is still in celebratory mood; but for how long shall we continue to celebrate qualification? It is way too dangerous to continue with this mindset.
“The season starts very soon and we must now be deeply engrossed in plans for the UPL.”
Like many teams in the Big League and Uganda Premier League, promptness of salary is an issue Kitara FC players have had to learn how to grapple with. In a Covid-hit industry like soccer, it is not likely that Kitara FC players will be receiving their money on time when the team join the UPL.
Ideally, Twinamatsiko would want the issue managed well.
“Many players are in arreas and sometimes it is a challenge to motivate footballers who haven’t been paid on time,” he noted.
Competing against established sides like KCCA, Vipers, Express SC Villa and Police will demand astute planning and a steely efficiency on and off the pitch.
The Kitara side that earned promotion featured players with topflight experience like Yasin Mubiru (Saints), Musa Docca (URA), Daniel Patrick Ekoyu (Sadolin Paints), Pius Mbidde (Express) and Brian Mululi (Lweza), whose winner settled the day against Kiboga Young.
Fostering unity, cohesion and chemistry (the club are scouting for reinforcements with the window to be extended) in the Kitara squad with the UPL due to start in just over three weeks’ time will no doubt test the coaching mettle of Twinamatsiko.
Through [email protected] Videos and pictures can be sent to +256 726071828 on WhatsApp. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us
