The favourite tag in the Airtel-fufa best coach contest belongs to Express coach Wasswa Bbosa – a StarTimes Uganda Premier League and Cecafa Kagame Cup winner this year.
Yet Bbosa is wary of the intimidating challenge posed by former Arua Hill coach Hussein Mbalangu who guided the West Nile side to their maiden top flight appearance on the first time of asking.
“It is not a mistake that I have been appreciated for my achievements last season. I won the league trophy after nine years of waiting and the first ever Cecafa Cup for the Red Eagles. The competition seems tough but Mbalangu also deserves credit for winning the Fufa Big League (FBL) trophy,” Bbosa told Daily Monitor after the draws were made at Fufa House yesterday.
He says the third challenger, KCCA coach Morley Byekwaso who also doubles as the Uganda U-20 coach, falls below the pecking order after his historic run to the Afcon finals with the Hippos in March in Nouakchott ended in defeat.
Mbalangu, now at Mbarara City, believes Bbosa is head and shoulders above the rest and that it will be a miracle to beat him to the gong come December 4 at Speke Resort Munyonyo. “For his two key trophies, Bbosa is above us all. I come second for my Fufa Big League Cup. Byekwaso’s feat is deflated by not having anything tangible to show after an impressive run in Mauritania,” Mbalangu stressed.
He added; “I’m glad that I have been shortlisted after I got concerns that the FBL didn’t reward the best coach which I believe I was a strong candidate for.”
How he fared
Mbalangu’s Kongolo didn’t lose a single match in their ascendancy to the top league, conceded the least number of goals – seven, scored the most – 29 and kept seven clean sheets.
For Byekwaso, emphatically guiding the Under-20 to the Total Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) before losing 2-0 Ghana’s Black Satellites fetched him a couple of admirers while some of the Hippos players like Aziz kayondo, Garvin Kizito, Bobosi Byaruhanga and Kenneth Ssemakula have since been called up to the Uganda Cranes. Former KCCA manager Mike Mutebi has won the coaching award most times.
In the women football coaching category, Fred Musiime (Lady Doves) and Alex Sida (She Maroons) will attempt to dare Ayub Khalifa (Uganda U-20), viewed as the odds-on favoutite to win for his heroics with the Under-20 ladies.
The best beach soccer player category is too close to call with Emmanuel Wasswa (St Lawrence), Ambrose Kigozi (Buganda Royal)
and Isma Kawawulo (Mubs) all seemingly worthy competitors.
AIRTEL-FUFA AWARDS
DECEMBER 4
Airtel-Fufa coach of the year
Hussein Mbalangu,
Wasswa Bbosa, Morley Byekwaso
Fans’ favourite player
(foreign based)
Denis Onyango, Fahd Bayo
Joan Nabirye, Taddeo Lwanga
Beach Soccer player of the year
Emmanuel Wasswa, Ambrose Kigozi, Isma Kawawulo
Women football coach of the year
Fred Musiime, Alex Sida, Ayub Khalifa
The Monitor