Nyamityobora coach Mwebaze walks away
Second resignation of the season: Coach Mwebaze spent more than a decade at Maroons but this season alone, he has walked away from two jobs - at Onduparaka and Maroons. Photo by Eddie Chicco
KAMPALA. Asaph Mwebaze ended his 78 days as the Nyamityobora coach on Wednesday, taking charge of 11 league games and two Uganda Cup ties earning the team eight points of the 12 they have accumulated.
Although he was to officially communicate to the club directors by last evening, he told the players and staff that “My work at Nyamityobora is finished,” the former Maroons and Onduparaka coach, who had a contract until 2021 said.
Team manager Sulait Makumbi confirmed that Mwebaze complained to the players that he would not allow them to stain his CV with relegation on his résumé.
Team Patron Ali Ssekatawa will assess the team’s options when he meets stakeholders in Mbarara over the weekend while Immanuel Ben Misagga, the president, was at Kakyeka Stadium on the day the team lost 2-0 before Mwebaze decided to quit and is still evaluating the team’s survival plan.
Lack of support
Although unconvincing results are thought to be the main cause that also led to the departure of his deputy, Joseph Kiwanuka, who was once at Mbarara City and Express, Mwebaze blamed lack of support from the players.
The 44-year-old Mwebaze, who made his name at Maroons where he spent more than 10 years, said he felt he no longer had the support of several players.
When the team lost the Mbarara derby last week, he lost his cool demeanor and announced training had been called off blaming the players’ negative attitude. Reported infiltration by the team camp by a suspected clique of saboteurs is also blamed for the mess at the team which lies 15th on the log.
Yet Ssekatawa has dismissed all this talk labelling it to the fictitious Snowball character in George Orwell’s Animal Farm.
“The truth is that we have only young players who lack experience,” Ssekatawa said.
Mwebaze took over at Nyamityobora in the wake of their 6-1 loss to KCCA, and building confidence among the players was his key asset. He appeared out of his but was also unlucky to lose several senior players as he opted for upstarts. Nyamityobora, who visit fellow strugglers Paidha next week, are 6 points behind fourth-from bottom Maroons, a thing that complicates their survival chances with 11 games to play.
Mwebaze’s successor would become the third coach in two seasons since the club rose to prominence with blistering performances in the Big League.
Legend Jackson Mayanja, former coach Alex Isabirye and Muhammad Kisekka, who was at Paidha, are among the top candidates to take over.
U19 coach Juma Ssekiziyivu will take over the Abanyakare as caretaker coach.
