KCCA a reminder of why institutional order is key
On Saturday night, KCCA FC held a dinner to celebrate the club’s first ever League and Cup double in the illustrious history of the team.
The glorious function was attended by the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, KCCA Executive Director Jennifer Musisi and a host of club legends and fans organisations at City Hall.
In a season where sanity prevailed throughout most of the season, the Lugogo-based club stood tallest after recruiting smartly and restructuring professionally.
KCCA FC have arguably the best coach in the country, the most sound board and the biggest sponsorship deals to go along with support of the Authority.
It is tempting to credit KCCA’s wonderful season – the club are doing well on the continent after becoming the first Ugandan side to reach the group stage of the Caf Confederation Cup – to money from sponsorship and support from Kampala Capital City Authority.
Far from it though, the basis of the club’s core strength has been in empowering institutions to do their job.
Vipers have the best stadium in the country and perhaps the most naturally talented crop of players man-for-man when compared with KCCA.
And likewise rival clubs Onduparaka and SC Villa (and Vipers too) command more fans in the terraces too week-in week-out.
But what the double champions have done best is creating departments, building and empowering them and setting targets against which they would be scored.
The club have arguably the best communications department, a hands-on marketing team and a technical bench that employs individuals who know what exactly they have to do.
Club chairman Julius Kabugo has barely interfered with the roles of the individuals and departments he tasked to execute jobs.
It has not been uncommon over the years for coaches in the Ugandan league to face recurrent interference in their jobs from club owners and chairmen.
Coach Mike Mutebi is arguably the most powerful coach in the game in the way he has been entrusted to do as he so wishes with all the technical affairs of the team.
Such freedom has allowed Mutebi to chop and change in his dream of building a side with an identity that would become the hallmark of the club.
KCCA have now thrown the gauntlet to SC Villa, Vipers, Express and URA going into next season.
The era of one-man shows at football clubs has diminished. Institutional order is the most ideal way of running a football club in modern times. Club structures all over the world are empowered at the biggest teams in the game.
There is no reason why we must try to re-invent the wheel in the Uganda Premier League.
The issue: Empowering structures in club management
Our view: KCCA have now thrown the gauntlet to SC Villa, Vipers, Express and URA going into next season.
The era of one-man shows at football clubs has diminished.
