Patience paying off for Onyango

KAMPALA.

No footballer loves warming the bench especially when they are fit.

Uganda’s Dennis Onyango knows life on the bench more than many. Ever since he moved to South Africa from Ethiopia in 2006, the Uganda Cranes goalkeeper has spent more time on the bench than the pitch.

At SuperSport United where he undertook his first South African job in 2006, Onyango made only 80 appearances in four seasons. In the first two seasons, he was a regular but he fell out of favour due to circumstances away from his club.

With South Africa preparing for the World Cup as hosts, their number one goalkeeper, Itumeleng Khune (playing for Kaizer Chiefs) got injured.
The South African Football Association demanded that SuperSport gives second choice Moeneeb Josephs playing time to keep him fit ahead of the World Cup. Onyango was relegated to the bench.

Out of favour, the Ugandan was later sold to Mpumalanga Black Aces where he only made 20 appearances in one season.
Black Aces dealt Onyango to Mamelodi Sundowns in 2011.

Here, he had to contend with Zambian international Kennedy Mweene for a starting place.
In the first two seasons at Sundowns, the giant shot-stopper managed only three appearances.
Frustrated, he demanded for a transfer. “I had to look for game time somewhere else,” Onyango told Sunday Monitor. “I asked the club to release me because it was not helping for me to just sit on the bench and get the money while not playing,” added Onyango, who kept his national team slot all the while even when he wasn’t playing at club level.

“But they felt that I still had something to offer to Sundowns and they decided to loan me instead of selling me.”

Hunt reunion
The former SC Villa custodian was loaned to Bidvets Wits last season where he was again kept out of goal by Josephs. At Wits, he got only five outings under his belt, keeping three clean sheets. The Wits move reunited Onyango with coach Gavin Hunt, who had earlier signed him for SuperSport.

Hunt wanted to keep Onyango at Wits and even held talks with his parent club Sundowns.
At the time, Sundowns number one Mweene and his deputy Wayne Sandilands were injured. Onyango had to be recalled.

Onyango’s return to Sundowns has been a fruitful one.

This term, he has been between the sticks for eight straight games, conceding only once - against Wits. He has now been nicknamed ‘Mr Clean Sheets’.

“I had to be patient because it’s not easy for a goalkeeper to have a chance to play like you see at Chelsea with Cech (Petr),” Onyago said. “Most of the time, I was on the bench the team was winning and he (Mweene) was doing well at the same time.”

Now, Onyango’s biggest hurdle is keeping Mweene on the bench.

“I just need to keep focused and work hard and also keep more clean sheets for the team because I know what I am capable of,” he said. “It’s not easy for someone to sit on the bench but you have to be professional and do the job because you have a contract.” “I supported him (Mweene) when he was playing so he is also returning the favor, we are helping each other in all aspects.”

While Onyango was away at Bidvest Wits, Sundowns won their sixth league title.
Onyango now has an enviable task of helping Sundowns defend their crown. Sundowns are eight points behind table leaders Kaizer Chiefs with a game in hand.

“We are very much optimistic. As long as we keep on winning, I still believe we can turn things around because we are yet to play them (Chiefs) and they also have some tough games to go,”

Onyango, a 2006 Kagame Club Championships winner with SC Villa, said. The 29-year-old has been the first choice for Uganda Cranes since 2005 but he regrets the team’s failure to qualify for big tournaments, especially the Africa Cup of Nations. “It’s a dream for me to play at the Africa Cup so it hurts since we’ve consistently failed to qualify.”

ONYANGO’S SOUTH AFRICAN CAREER

2006-2010: SuperSport (80 appearances)
2010-2011: Mpumalanga Black Aces (20)
2011-2013: Mamelodi Sundowns (3)
2013-2014: Bidvest Wits (5)
2014-2015: Mamelodi Sundowns (12)

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