Al Hajji Manano: Truest definition of a utility player

They don't make them any more. I mean, an athlete who can play across the pitch and effortlessly fit in. In football, John O'Shea fitted the bill at Manchester United. 

Phillip Obwiny was probably the most important player during his career at Express, SC Villa, URA FC and Uganda Cranes for two decades owing to his ability to play everywhere outfield and offer a natural solution. 

In their win at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, the South African Springboks popularized their Bomb Squad (replacements bench), usually a 6/2 split ratio of forwards to backs. 

The two were always a scrumhalf and a utility back in the form of veteran bomber Francois Steyn, whose ability to play at 10, 12, 13 and 15 and pack a venomous boot offered a huge cover. 
They repeated the same trick last year with Damien Willemse taking over the role, and defended their Webb Ellis trophy. Again, who can forget the Wallabies' Reece Hodge playing across the entire backline bar scrumhalf?

John Smith, South Africa's 2007 World Cup winning captain, famously played across the front row (loose head prop, hooker and tight head prop) for both franchise (Sharks) and national team (Springboks). 

See, anyone can try and play anywhere, depending on the level of the competition. Franchise/club and Test rugby are two completely different things. Not many players can claim to feel at home in different positions at club and Test rugby level. 

Locally, not many players can have that honour said about them. Robert Sseguya (RIP), probably. Originally a flanker, he was converted into a scrumhalf by Chester Williams and took over the kicking duties. Then when he returned to flanking it looked as if he had never left. Special man. Rest In Peace!

"Chester wanted a scrumhalf who could offer a tackling and defensive dimension to his game and Soggy fitted the role ahead of let's say Faizal Gama and Anthony Kinene," recalls Robert Wadia, who won the 2007 African championship with Sseguya.

Timothy Mudoola also played a couple of positions. Starting out as a flanker, he got posted to wing and eventually center where he teamed up with Stone Luggya to devastating effect for club and country. 

Enter Manano

Currently, talk about a versatile/utility player and people with a rugby knowledge will point at Kobs' Al Hajji Manano. He has played literally everywhere: lock, flanker, wing, center. 
Manano believes that his first sport (football) offered him the foundation to play various positions.

Before taking up rugby as his full-time sport, Manano was a utility footballer for second division teams like Naguru Echo and Naguru Deluxe. Playing both wing and leading the line, he was equal to the tasks of either  position.

Quick, strong and direct, Manano enjoyed taking on opponents and scoring goals he actually had a trial at Proline FC during its talent search in the earlier days of its formation, and impressed. 
But he says his dream of making it into the team was cut short by "unnecessary politics of 'who knows you'?"

Starting out 

Manano and rugby first crossed paths in 2009 as a Senior Two student at Kyambogo College. But of course, coming from Naguru means he had seen other kids like Alfred Bijik, Brian "Olenge" Ochan, Juma Ochan, Paul Masendi and James Ijongat play it at a younger level (tag rugby) but he wasn't interested.
So when he joined Kyambogo College, he found other Naguru friends like Simon Peter Nyeko, Isaac Tago, Cosmas Odur.

He also got to meet Paul Epillo and Solomon Okia who were teammates with his friends.

The beginning wasn't easy. A late bloomer, he found it hard to penetrate into the team. During those days to go out for competitions, Manano used sneak into the team bus but was always the first to be chased out by Allan Otim, the coach. 
Later when Christine Kizito came over to assist Otim and spot talent, Manano found a mother figure to cling onto. 

In 2010, he broke into the school U-16 team and a year later he was playing for both U-16 and U-19 teams alongside running for the school in the sprints and middle distance races. 

What Pirates lost, Kobs gained

Manano admits that by 2015 (Senior Five) he was playing rugby but just for the sake of it. No serious ambitions.

On one of those weekends, he went down to Legends to watch his pals during a Boks vs Sailors 7s game. The latter were short on numbers and risked losing points by way if walkover. Olenge called him to play. He entered the pitch and enjoyed the action.

His performances caught the eye of the Pirates senior team, who, incidentally, were also struggling with numbers.

He played for Pirates and when Sailors were not entered into the Uganda Cup of that year, Kevin Markmot lured him to Boks. 

Pirates' loss proved to be a huge catch for Boks and later, Kobs, to date. In 2013 he played 7s for Kobs but went back to Boks for Uganda Cup and in one memorable match, he scored a hat trick of tries against Stallions. He had also been named team captain. 

They marched to the final and lost to an Impis side that had Emmanuel Ecodu and Adnan Mutebi as standout players. 

Manano's performance left Brian Odongo and Brian Asaba convinced that he was meant to step up the ladder to Kobs and the took him up with them, till this day. The two have actually had a hand in Manano's life beyond being just teammates.

Triple African champion

In 2013, Sseguya summoned Manano to the national U-19 setup but Manano dropped himself.

"I felt a lack of motivation. Soggy was always barking at us. His way of coaching was based on threats. He had threatened to drop us and summon kids from Hannah International School. I felt disrespected and I was no longer in frame to offer 100% and if I can't do that, I walk away," he stresses.

The following year he was part of the victorious Crocs franchise in the Protector Super Series. He was also recalled to the U-19 team and named captain. He led Uganda to the Africa trophy hosted by Kyadondo, despite the fact that he missed the final against Madagascar through injury.

"I had a terrible injury against Senegal where I lost some teeth and the remaining ones had to be supported by wires and braces. But still, Soggy wanted me to play in that condition. Only (referee) Rosenburg Kanyunyuzi save the day but Soggy had me on his match day 23 and called me a coward," recalls Manano.

Manano's working relationship with Soggy was always fueled by the latter's admiration for the young man. Soggy used to be an animal on pitch and he saw those qualities in Manano. 

"In training I give 100% and lead from the front. He he used to love me for that and told me he wanted to groom me into the next Soggy. But sometimes he'd just be too much for me and we'd disagree on a few things. For example, if all of us failed a drill, he would punish me twice. But I used to like his battle hardened way of coaching."

Infact, Manano's career as a top utility and versatile player was launched by Soggy. He fielded him mainly at center, alongside Edrine Kayima, yet all along he had played wing.

That U-19 victory on a rainy afternoon at Kyadondo gave Manano his first ever continental medal. His next two came in the 7s stripes. In 2015, Tolbert Onyango called him to the national 7s team but Manano dropped himself, again. He says he wasn't ready. He didn't want to stand in another player's way.

The following year he was finally ready and it came with the African gold medal in Nairobi before defending it at Legends in October 2017, earning Uganda a place at the 7s World Cup in San Francisco. But as bad luck would have it, Manano injured his knee in Cape Town. He would re-suffer the same injury in 2019 in Zimbabwe and it kept him out until May 2020.

 
On top of those three African gold medals, he also has one more-the 2018 All University Games that the Ugandan team won in Namibia in 2018. Safe to say he has stamped his authority to the African continent.

15s rugby and the Mr. Utility role 

In 2021, Manano earned his first ever call to the senior 15s national team. His debut came in France during the World Cup qualifiers. 

He played flank, wing and center. The man in charge of the team, Fred Mudoola, knows Manano from his early years at Kobs. 

"I know what he is capable of doing. He is fast, so he can play wing. Then in the pack, his tackling and work rate, offence and defence around the rucks are top notch. He is also a lineout option and has an eye for gaps, which makes him an asset," reasons Mudoola. Even during this year's Victoria Cup at King's Park he was deployed at wing in the game against Kenya.

But how does Manano take it? Naturally he is okay with it but is also honest to show its disadvantages. For instance, he knows that most utility players are not usually appreciated because their game is not for everyone to understand.

"Also, sometimes you've mastered the art of let's say flanking, and prepared your game around that, then midway, the coach makes a substitute and sends you to the wing. Yes, as a utility player you have to adjust but it's not as easy as it looks because it kills momentum," he argues.

The advantage with it is that a utility player will always have game time. Mudoola agrees. The game has changed a lot, the coach says. 

"If you are a fullback, for example, I expect you to be able to play all the back three positions. It's a lesson that every player has to take," reasons Mudoola.

Outlook on rugby and its people

Manano's future would have taken a different route if he had listened to his father. At the age of two, he got knocked by a car and broke his leg. His father discouraged him from playing any physical contact sport but Manano would always escape and play football.

And it is rugby that offered an advanced education opportunity to him. Manano holds a Bachelor's Degree in Food Science Technology from Kyambogo University.

He first acquired a diploma, and it was mainly through the efforts of the Kobs faithful. A number of fans paid for his tuition and former captain Asaba would top up on that, while Odongo would chip in with upkeep and rent fees.

Odongo took it up to himself to pay Manano's tuition for his degree and general upkeep.

Timothy Mudoola connected him to an internship opening at Nile Breweries in Mbarara and Isaac Lutwama connected him to a job in an NGO based in Mityana, which has since ended.
Currently unemployed, Manano is looking out for opportunities to keep afloat.

"Rugby as a family can connect you to education and employment opportunities. As a sport, it can't really sustain you because it is amateur but you can use the contacts for opportunities and that's how many of us survive," he reasons. 

For now, the rigours of unemployment have trapped Manano under the ruck but he is hoping for better fortunes at the next phase of play and as Mr. Utility, his eyes are wide open for a gap that leads through to the other end of life. 

And no, his name, Al Hajji, has nothing to do with the famous Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. His father named him this, with no clear explanation. 

Name: Al Hajji Manano

Place of birth: Kampala

Education: St. Jude Naguru Primary School, Kyambogo College, Kyambogo University

Qualifications: Diploma In Food Science Technology, Bachelor's Degree in Food Science Technology

Current club: Kobs

Position: Utility player (pack and backline)

Clubs played for: Sailors, Boks, Pirates, Kobs

National teams: Uganda U-19 (Captain), Uganda 7s, Uganda 15s.

Local accolades:
National 7s titles: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021

Uganda Cup: 2018, 2019

15s league: 2014, 2016, 2021

International accolades:
Africa U-19: 2014
Rugby Africa 7s: 2016, 2017
All Africa Varsities: 2018
Victoria Cup: 2023

Favorite player: None, actually. I play my game, my way. I don't look up to anyone.

Role model: Brian Odongo and Brian Asaba for how they welcomed me into Kobs and continued to look after me through my school days todate.

Soggy for always looking out for me and believing in me. May his Soul Rest In Peace.