Mutebi will weather the storm at KCCA
It was the renowned Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni who once colourfully drew a striking parallel between the modern-day football coach and a fish. If either stays put for long they start to, er, stink. So is there a standard for what constitutes long? Is four years in football the equivalent of a week in politics?
A cult of infallibility has built up around Mike Mutebi since being named manager of KCCA FC’s first team in June of 2015. June after June, the impossibility of outwitting Mutebi has been proved. In those four years of intractable dominance, different pieces of silverware have swallowed up the Kasasiro Boys’ trophy cabinet. Three of them have been topflight league titles, including the elusive double during the 2016/17 season.
June of 2019 found Mutebi’s charges in good cheer fresh from winning a 14th topflight league title. Shorn of the services of Timothy Awany, Allan Kyambadde and Patrick Kaddu, one would have expected KCCA to get an immediate sense of the loss of experience during the Cecafa Kagame Cup staged in July. Yet Mutebi’s legend grew that bit more when he refashioned the side by throwing young blood like Samuel Kato, Ramathan Musa and Sadat Anaku into the deep end.
Contrary to rhetoric fraught with a sinking feeling, the youngsters made quite a splash as KCCA won only its second regional club football title.
While the wheels did threaten to come off after a listless showing in the Pilsner Super Eight final, normal service resumed when the KCCA juggernaut rolled on in the Fufa Super Cup final against Proline. Yet here we are with a disproportionate number of football critics holding that a repeat of such heady heights won’t be easy for Mutebi to engineer.
After probing historically unfathomable depths with a five-match winless streak, KCCA’s first team manager is being likened to a fish. The whiff of poor form — headlined by failure to outfox supposed makeweights like Tooro United, Bright Stars and BUL FC in the league— has become a stench.
The fishy smell has triggered a conversation that the mildly tolerable draws against Atlético Petróleos de Luanda failed. The conversation remarkably pivots around — whisper it — whether Mutebi is fast becoming a liability at Lugogo.
Make no mistake, KCCA’s poor run of form is troubling in more ways than one. But to suggest that KCCA’s top brass and fans have mutely reached the end of their tether is a bit of stretch. It is indicative of the fact that besides the inner sanctum of his backroom staff and, perhaps, KCCA board, Mutebi has few people that genuinely wish him well.
This is hardly an accident. Not known to suffer fools gladly, Mutebi has and continues to step on one too many toes. The many that have faced his wrath have been quick to dance on grave, highlighting his deficiencies with such absurd ease.
The cold truth is that Mutebi is imperfect. Aren’t we all? Some of the imperfections that have been drummed up in the light of KCCA’s blip are, however, lacking in substance.
Take the characterisation of KCCA as a team that morphs into a fish out of water when its playing on natural grass. The assertion is perpetuated by critics uninterested enough in the detail that over the past seasons KCCA has won more points on natural grass pitches than any other topflight team.
Another serious bone of contention has been Mutebi’s sparing use of Nicholas Kasozi. Many observers have made it clear that they have taken offence. Others say that the situation points to contractual issues the club has not just with Kasozi but also Allan Okello and Mustafa Kizza.
Clearly, this won’t be the last that we hear of contractual standoffs and pay disputes at Lugogo. It also remains to be seen how Mutebi responds to sticking points in his backyard. One thing that you can expect though is a fight from the KCCA manager.
