Juuko is continental material, says coach Kajoba
Keeping It Professional. Juuko feels aggrieved by Wydad Casablanca’s refusal to pay him his arrears but he remains committed to playing out his contract. PHOTO | JOHN BATANUDDE
Blessed with an enviable defending art, timely tackles and a sturdy man-marking instinct, Wydad Casablanca and Uganda Cranes defender Murushid Juuko’s stock is now out in the cold.
Many potential suitors have taken notice and are reportedly sweet talking him to join their camps but the biggest hurdle remains - he is still officially contracted to Casablanca.
“No coach in Uganda wouldn’t want to have Murushid in his team. Even if you asked Mike Mutebi (KCCA manager), he would run for him,” Vipers coach Fred Kajoba told Daily Monitor yesterday.
The Kitende-based topflight side is reportedly waiting for Juuko to give up on the Moroccan giants so that they step up their bid for him.
“We are going for continental football and in any case we face a big side, say from North Africa, we can rely on Juuko for experience and command.
“We may have many defenders at the moment (Geoffrey Wasswa, Bashir Asiku, Halid Lwaliwa, Ahmed Amayo, Ibrahim Tembo, Jacob Okao, Livingstone Mulondo and Rashid Toha but if we get Juuko some will have to go for loan,” he added.
Casablanca owes me - Juuko
Expectations were sky high when Juuko left Tanzanian topflight side Simba SC after five years and 150 appearances mid last year to join Wydad Casablanca. His two-year contract yielded instant grumbling forcing Juuko to stay in Entebbe after Cranes played Malawi at Namboole on November 17.
“I can’t comment on the Vipers move now. I still have my contract with Casablanca but I can only return to Morocco when they pay me all the money they owe me. If that is not the case, I will still stay in Uganda,” Juuko revealed yesterday.
Paul Mukatabala, the deputy national teams’ manager, told Daily Monitor that the Moroccan side tried to trace Juuko’s whereabouts last year.
“Two weeks after the Cranes versus Malawi game on November 17, Wydad Casablanca asked Fufa about the whereabouts of Murushid Juuko,” disclosed Mukatabala.
The CEO (Edgar Watson) tasked me to look for him and when I uprooted him from Entebbe, he said he won’t go back until the financial issues are resolved.
“Fast forward two months ago, he told us his agent is handling the matter and we gave him ample time to sort himself out,” Mukatabala revealed.
A source that preferred anonymity revealed that Juuko’s apartment was cleared and given to another Ugandan Joel Madondo, who is also at loggerheads with the club at the moment.
JUUKO AT A GLANCE
Name: Murushid Juuko
Birth Date: April 14, 1994
Birth Place: Entebbe
Position: Central Defender
Clubs
2009–2012: Bunnamwaya
2013–2014: Victoria Univ.
2014–2019: Simba (Tanzania)
2019: Wydad Casablanca
National teams
2011–2012: Uganda U20
2013: Uganda U-23
2014-Todate: Uganda Cranes
Honours
2010–11: Uganda League (VU)
2014: Nile Basin Cup (Simba)
2015: Mapinduzi Cup
2017: Tanzania FA Cup
2017-18: Tanzanian League
2015: Cecafa Cup (Uganda)
