Fufa awards continue with new winner trend

Memorable: Winners take to the podium for a group photo at Speke Resort Munonyo on Friday evening. PHOTO BY JOHN BATANUDDE

KAMPALA. There It was a night to remember for Vipers SC, with the national league champions featuring in MVP, team of the season and Fufa presidential awards.
Moses Waiswa went home as Uganda’s best male footballer, Daniel Sserunkuma peeped into the team of the year, and Vipers patron Lawrence Mulindwa was recognised for his service to the game with a presidential award.
Yet even Vipers could not have missed the awkwardness of silently knowing a one Sserunkuma, top scorer with 17 league goals last season, could have as well been that man driving home that Mark II Grande car prize. vNevertheless, the gong for the best male player still went to St Mary’s Stadium, Waiswa - who has grown in leaps and bounds both at club and in the national team - beating other two surprise three finalists Allan Okello and Viane Sekajugo.
In all, whether by design or merit, the event continued a trend of producing a new winner as they hosted their third successive Fufa-Airtel awards on Friday at Speke Resort Munyonyo.
Waiswa, another unpopular winner for the third year running - make no mistake the creative midfielder had a good year - takes over from Muzamiru Mutyaba.
Mutyaba magically upstaged his then Teammate and 32-goal star Geoffrey Sserunkuma to lift the 2017 MVP award, also a new winner.
Before him, livewire Muhammad Shaban had surprised everyone, apart from those in charge of the system, to beat Champions League winner and eventual Africa’s Player of the Year Denis Onyango.
If we are to go by this trend in 2019, it may not matter how much football one plays if they have already won the gong either here or at their previous foreign clubs.
Someone decent enough, and one who has not won in the last three editions, will fancy themselves.
Unless of course you are KCCA manager Mike Mutebi, who completed a hattrick of Coach of the Year gongs for guiding his team to the Caf Champions League group stage.

Male Footballer of the Year

2018: Moses Waiswa - Vipers SC
2017: Muzamiru Mutyaba - KCCA
2016: Mohammad Shaban - (KCCA)