Golola role can’t be ignored
Vipers players throw up their coach Golola in the air in Buikwe . PHOTO BY ISMAIL KEZAALA
What you need to know:
This is in contrast to most Ugandan clubs across the divisions. These clubs have perfected the art of recycling tired legs that have covered just about every blade of grass on the country’s pitches
Kampala.
There is a constant with the Vipers squad that won the 2015 Azam Uganda Premier League (UPL) title and the one that clinched their first, then as Bunnamwaya, some five years ago.
The invariable is that for every winning squad on both occasions, St Mary’s Secondary School, Kitende had a big say.
Actually, four players of this year’s title winning squad including Mike Mutyaba, Saddam Juma, Ismail Kazibwe and Edward Ssali were all part of the 2010 winning contingent. Consistency!
Club, school connection
Three of them went through St Mary’s, Kitende. As if that was not enough, of this year’s winning squad, only Musa Malunda, Joseph Mpande, Julius Malingumu, Moses Batali, David Owori, Stephen Luswata, Meddie Kibirigge and Vincent Kayizzi did not go through Kitende.
That leaves a big chunk of the 25-man squad to have passed through Kitende in one way or another; a sign of a steady, gradual production line.
This is in contrast to most Ugandan clubs across the divisions. These clubs have perfected the art of recycling tired legs that have covered just about every blade of grass on the country’s pitches.
What Vipers have managed to do, impressively at that, compared to other clubs is master patience and consistency.
They have not just managed that with players, but with the coaching staff as well; Edward Golola - helped by Richard Wasswa - leading the side to two championships.
Bar the 2012 season when Bunnamwaya changed name to Vipers and brought in Ambrose Chukuma, thus relegating Golola to assistant before he bounced back after the Nigerian’s sacking the following year, it has been calm waters in the club’s dugout.
It surely cannot go down to decent management alone. “I have a special relationship with my boss,” Golola, who wears a relaxed look as he takes in the league title triumph, tells Sunday Monitor in one of the hotels in town.
The boss is St Mary’s Kitende owner, who also doubles as Vipers proprietor and former Fufa president, Lawrence Mulindwa.
“He has given me everything I need,” says Golola, “Built me a house, given me a car and allowed me to make decisions when it comes to the style I want to play and which players to recruit if there is need.”
But Mulindwa did relegate you to assistant when he brought in Chukuma; you even had to quit midway the 2012/13 season to help KJT up after you fell out with the Nigerian… Huh!
“I will admit that for me I always want to learn,” Golola makes his case. “If someone is better I’m okay learning from him. We worked together a lot with Chukuma, we also had our disagreements. For example we disagreed on using Hamza Muwonge or Ismail Watenga in goal. Hamza had served us well but he was now past his best.
“But at one Kakungulu (Uganda) Cup game against Hoima/Busia, he agreed and Watenga started. The boy was very outstanding and from then on, we all agreed that he was the one.”
But Golola knew he himself had to go. “After that, disagreements here and there continued. So I told my boss (Mulindwa) that I don’t want to fight with the coach. So I went and helped my colleague Ronald Ssali and we promoted KJT Rwenshama.”
Chukuma’s poor run of results was to soon see him sacked and Golola was back in the Vipers dugout, just in time to win this year’s championship.
Player, coach bond
Golola’s relationship with his players is akin to that of the ball on Lionel Messi’s feet. Inseparable! That bond could only be traced in Kitende, a kilometer or so off Entebbe Road.
“I’m with these boys from the moment they are in S.1, through the reserves until they graduate to the senior Vipers team,” says Golola.
“So by the time they are in Vipers they have played for me in the Kitende team and I know them better and they know me and what I want.”
With Kitende, Golola has won eight Copa Coca Cola titles and 10 East Africa Schools’ football trophies.
Mulindwa has managed to get some of the best youngsters around (or poach if you like), and offered them bursaries at Kitende.
“The bursaries cover everything,” says Golola, “From school fees, shopping and all. Once you come to Kitende all we and the boss ask of you is to concentrate on your studies.
“He tells them when they come that education is key. It’s first priority. It is school from 8am-4.15pm, and 5pm we start training.” Vipers also train from Kitende.
“If we have a league game and it happens to be exam time, the affected players are put in separate rooms and do their papers alone, under tight invigilation.”
Golola gets satisfaction in having a hand on a wider pool of players. “We have a mutual agreement for those that come on bursaries that Vipers is their first priority once they are ready for the first team.
“But we (Kitende) have also produced many footballers like Steven Bengo, who never played for Vipers but went on to represent the country. That gives me satisfaction.”
Golola can now relish in the moment. He needs the breather before he embarks on defending the Uganda Super League title, EA games honours, representing in Cecafa and debuting on the continent.
