Byasiima willing to help growth of local football
Byansiima in his SC Villa days in the 90s. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- Byasiima went to Makerere University with current Fufa president Moses Magogo while he played with current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Edgar Watson at SC Villa.
- Such was his talent that when playing with the revered former Cranes captain Ibrahim Sekagya at State House, the latter had to be accommodated elsewhere in the team to let Byasiima marshal the defence.
KAMPALA. Former footballer Arthur Byasiima is happy to return home for the first time in a decade.
Byasiima, first settled out of the country in 1999 when he joined Alabama A&M University in USA, where he studied Financial Accounting. He later completed his Masters at University of North Alabama.
In 2007, he returned to marry Justine Nagawa and left again. The mother of his three children is the main reason he has returned home – to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary on Saturday.
However, the vice president of Bank of America who kept tabs in the game by coaching in Tennessee is also happy to contribute to the growth of the game here.
“I am excited to contribute in terms of ideas if called upon,” Byasiima told Daily Monitor.
“I know the people who run the game now personally and if called upon, I will share what I know. However, I cannot impose myself on the federation,” he explained.
When Byasiima left the country, there was belief he would embrace the professional ranks but soccer was not big in the USA as it is now.
He was only 20 then and the future was bright – or so the fans thought. Byasiima had joined the national team set up a year earlier making his debut against Algeria. His most memorable moment in the Cranes shirt was setting up Magid Musisi’s early goal in the 5-0 drubbing of Rwanda at Nakivubo in 1998.
Byasiima also recalls playing against Liberia in the 1-0 Africa Cup qualifier win famed for George Weah’s late arrival while he was also part of the Kobs that reached the semi—finals of the All Africa Games in 1999 in South Africa.
“I never continued because I had better opportunities (education),” notes the former State House (1995-1996) and SC Villa (1998-1999) defender who only played till he graduated at Alabama in 2003.
Byasiima went to Makerere University with current Fufa president Moses Magogo while he played with current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Edgar Watson at SC Villa.
Such was his talent that when playing with the revered former Cranes captain Ibrahim Sekagya at State House, the latter had to be accommodated elsewhere in the team to let Byasiima marshal the defence.
Sekagya was recently added to the Cranes coaching set up for the 1-0 win over Egypt.
“We were very talented and the game was competitive back in the day but Uganda was not advanced in terms of technology then,” Byasiima reminisces given the current progress of the game in the country.
“Currently, the game is changing fast and there is a lot that goes into the game before matches. It is a whole different set up but we can help,” Byasiima said.
