Kirunda’s was a football life lived with flair, goals

Jimmy Kirunda, a beacon of flair and drive, yesterday served probably his only distress to Ugandans.
The man Cranes 1978 Afcon finalist goalkeeper Paul Ssali calls the “greatest Ugandan footballer ever” signed out of earthly life, leaving sadness among football lovers and those with an inkling of the 70s and 80s nostalgic history. He was 70.

His endearing comparisons to German great Franz Anton Beckenbauer only go to show what a great and effective showman he was on the pitch. Like the German, Kirundawas known for overlapping across the pitch from his defensive duties to teaching slacking forwards a lesson in finding the back of the net.

So good was he KCC manager Bidandi Ssali elevated him to the striking role in 1978, the 32 goals he scored in that single season remaining a subject of wonder.
The above and much more earned his outrageously deserving comparison to a man who won World Cup titles and the European Championship - Beckenbauer.
Beckenbauer was nicknamed Der Kaiser (“The Emperor”) because of his elegant style, his leadership, and his dominance on the football pitch, the same qualities that had Kirunda christened Uganda’s Kaiser by a Cranes German coach.

Early football love
In an interview with this newspaper in 2012, Kirunda told of a story where it all clicked. It was an Independence Cup match between Uganda and Ghana, and 16-year-old Kirunda was watching from the stands.
“I was lucky my father took me to watch the match at Nakivubo. Ghana were a strong team and they beat us 4-1. I only remember John Agard, our goalkeeper, then. I didn’t know I would play them later in the final in 1978.”
Having grown up in a football crazy loyalty of Mulago, Kirunda was spotted by a one Steven Kakooza, who wooed him to Mulago FC.

He continued playing football during his schooling at Naggalama by featuring for Kampala District Bus Service (KDS), then at Old Kampala before moving to second tier Lint Marketing Board (LMB).
Kirunda then moved to topflight Express FC when the national league was introduced four years after Uganda’s independence. The stylish defender earned his first cap with national senior team in a friendly between Uganda and Burundi in July 1969.
It is from that game that Bidandi Ssali, then coach of Second Division side KCC, was wowed by the 19-year-old and snatched him from Express to build a side that would rule Ugandan football for a decade plus.
“I moved to KCC because they gave me more incentives including employment,” Kirunda, leaning back in his leather seat in his Fufa president personal assistant’s office in Mengo in 2012, said.

Kirunda became fully employed by KCC as an accounts clerk before being elevated to sports officer in 1973 for the next 10 years.
His dominance was so immense it was felt in his own defensive half, the midfield, and the opposition’s penalty area. His charisma saw him play a vital role as KCC got promoted to the topflight division in 1974.
Kirunda’s national team bond saw him win Cecafa titles in 1969, 1970, 1973, 1976 & 1977 (1969 as Gosage Cup and 1970 as Challenge Cup).

Kaiser moniker origin
But one moment Kirunda’s fondly remembered in our previous interview and one that must have shaped and affirmed his Beckenbauer likening was in the qualifiers for Egypt Afcon 1974.
Weeks to the tournament in Egypt, Cranes German coach Westerhoff Otto had an outburst with national captain Polly Ouma over the player’s indiscipline.
Exasperated, Otto stripped Ouma of the armband and handed it to Kirunda, who went on to captain the side for a decade.

“Otto told me I played like Beckenbauer,” said Kirunda at eight years ago, “That I defended like Beckenbauer, surged forward like him and scored several goals like him – a defender. So he trusted me when he gave me the armband.”
Kirunda boasted of pace and power which were complemented by a vicious shot and great heading ability plus has the knack of scoring goals.
A movie-like tale is told of how one of his famed hard shots hit the crossbar in 1974 and ended in the stands, reportedly leading to the death of a staunch Express fan only known as Kiggundu - brother to Gen Katumba Wamala.

No penalties, no problem
The KCC defender’s goal scoring feats reached the epitome in 1978 when he set a record by top-scoring with 32 goals in the league. Andrew Mukasa broke the record 21 years later, netting 45.
Ironically, Kirunda scored all those goals without ever taking a penalty his entire career. He would always remove his boots when it came to spot kicks and walk away – but overlapping, counter attacks, corners, free kicks and heading were his specialties.
“Whenever we were losing, I would tell Moses Nsereko to fall back to defence alongside Tom Lwanga and I would play the last 10 minutes as a striker,” he fondly said, earlier.

“I was especially good in overlaps, just like Beckenbauer. Even my teammates and fans all were calling me Beckenbauer at the time and I always saw myself in him while playing and it inspired me. And somehow I would always come in with that late goal.”
Talking late goals, Kirunda, who after the ’78 Nations Cup signed for UAE’s Abu Dhabi Sports Club and later SC Villa, then back to KCC, had his fondest on in November 1977 against Ethiopia in a Nations Cup playoff.

With the 90 minutes done and the Ethiopians going through on away goals rule, Kirunda headed in Eddy Ssemwanga’s free kick to earn Uganda a slot to the 1978 Afcon.
He went ahead to captain the side to the final where they lost to hosts Ghana. His contemporaries are in unison that he is Uganda’s most complete player. Rest well, legend.

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