Magogo comes good on KCCA-Cecafa Cup title Shs75m pledge
Regional Kings. Coach Mutebi (not in pic) took a youthful side to Kigali that no one expected to win the Cecafa Kagame Cup. But they pulled off a heist. COURTESY PHOTO
After 10 months of waiting, KCCA players can now smile to the bank and collect the $1,000 (about Shs3.7m) bonus promise each offered by Fufa president Moses Magogo for winning the Cecafa Kagame Cup in July 2019.
Better late than never! When Mustafa Kizza struck the only goal against Azam in the final at Stade de Kigali Stadium to catapult KCCA to their second regional trophy after the 1978 triumph, along with it came $30,000 (an estimated Shs112m) cash prize and the right to pocket more from Magogo’s promise.
From then on, the 20 players that took part in the tourney have silently demanded for the money - oftenly managing to use the media to fuel their fight and Magogo’s pledge fulfillment comes as another big victory for them especially in these tough Covid-19 times.
“The president has honoured his pledge to KCCA players,” Fufa communications director Ahmed
Hussein confirmed yesterday. Indeed, a senior player at KCCA, on anonymity preference, confirmed that most of the players has accessed the money.
“I am yet to go to the bank but some of my colleagues have even already withdrawn some of their money. I am glad it has come during the lockdown,” he said.
In a closed door meeting at Hilltop Hotel on July 20, Magogo also Caf executive member for East and Central Africa, flanked by KCCA vice chairman Aggrey Ashaba and Fufa official Chris Kalibala, made the pledge.
“KCCA is the only professional team in Uganda and I admire your progress in developing talents. “If you win this Cecafa Kagame cup against Azam FC, I’m rewarding each player $1,000,” he revealed attracting a thunderous clap, then.
Daily Monitor has independently learned that the payment was done soon after Fifa wired the $500,000 (Shs1.9b) Covid-19 relief fund released to each of their 211 member associations.
Former KCCA playmaker Allan Okello now with Paradou AC in the Algerian Ligue and Lawrence Bukenya (on loan at Wakiso Giants) benefitted from the financial payment but the Shs75m ($20,000) reportedly excludes the technical staff.
The technical staff in Rwanda that guided KCCA to victory included Mike Mutebi (Manager), Morley Byekwaso (deputy), Badru Kaddu (fitness coach), Daniel Kiwanuka (goalkeeping coach), Jackson Magera (youth coach), Richard Malinga (youth coach), Robert Kabuye (assistant coach) and Emmanuel Tusuubira (doctor).
