Bbosa lays down title marker

Wasswa Bbosa has pledged to return Express to the top of the league within three years, a duration the Wankulukuku board feels is enough for the gaffer to make his mark.
Bbosa was in February hired as the bullet to do the ‘Sam Allardyce job’ of lifting Express from the relegation it was flirting with. He did not disappoint, winning three and drawing once to ensure that even the loss to URA did little blemish to his impressive start.

“My bosses want me to deliver the title in the time they have given me and I believe it is very possible,”he said. “We are going to start by recruiting about 12 players, some of whom I have already identified.”

Bbosa knows the taste of league glory having been Sam Ssimbwa’s deputy in 2012 when the Red Eagles last won the title.

Yet, for a club that has been in dire straits across many fronts – administration, on-pitch performance and fans – since their last league title, his ambition might seem too bold for many.

Bbosa’s permanent deal was announced last week along with that CEO change that saw Isaac Mwesigwa replace Hamza Junju.

He is confident that the Mwesigwa and top management headed by Kiryowa Kiwanuka will avail the financial support needed to make his dream a reality.

“We can’t compete with Vipers, KCCA and URA on star players but I’ll bring in competent players to make Express rise again,” he said.

“I’m going to work with James Odoch, Sam Kawalya, Ayub Balyejusa, and Hassan Mubiru; who like me, all played for the club and love it at heart,” said Bbosa, who sees each helping the team at what they did during their playing days.

“Kawalya will work with the goalkeepers, Mubiru with the strikers, Balyejusa and Odoch with midfielders and me with the defenders on top of conducting the entire training sessions,” the tactician added.

Strategic changes
The finger grains of Bbosa’s contract remains elucive but the coach said his new contract brings him “closer to the top earners among coaches in Uganda.”

He sees stability under Kiwanuka as players welfare, transport, salaries and diet issues are no longer worrisome.

“At the moment, we are looking at some strategic changes to team play, which we feel shall best be accomplished by Bbosa. And, of course, we continue to think about how we are to move the club on the pitch from the point at which we are to a better place,” Kiwanuka said while unveiling Bbosa in January.

At the time, the Red Eagles under George Ssimwogerere were flirting with relegation. Bbosa arrived to chalk up wins against Onduparaka, Tooro United, Maroons; picked a point from KCCA and lost URA and finished ninth in the prematurely ended league due to coronavirus pandemic.

“The first year will be for rebuilding, the second, we will go for the title and the third will be real business. With my favoured 4-3-3 counter-attacking formation and with right players, expect Express to be back,” said Bbosa, who came clowe to winning the league title with Villa in 2017 before bickering saw the Blues finish second, eight points adrift of eventual winners KCCA.