Playing with freedom. Ssekajugo had to overcome dad’s prejudice. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE
|It’s showtime for Ssekajugo
What you need to know:
Sports vs. Books. The URA forward’s dad spent some time standing in the way of the player and football, even banning him from the beautiful game at one point as they battled over school choices. In the end, both won – and are happy
Viane Ssekajugo and URA are not back in league action until next month, but have a small matter of the Uganda Cup to sort this week.
The forward was, however, battling to shake off a mild illness on Monday, hoping to be fit for Thursday’s Cup game.
But one thing Ssekajugo is pretty confident about is his second round form. The tricky winger banged in four in URA’s last 5-0 pummeling of his former club, Wakiso Giants, last week.
He joined Yunus Sentamu, and teammate Steven Mukwala, who plundered them against Wakiso and Tooro United respectively, to score four goals in a single league match this season.
Did he ever dream of scoring four goals in a single match? “I dream of even more,” Ssekajugo, 25, assured Daily Monitor, “and I’m working for more.”
And Ssekajugo feels great about the remaining 12 league matches. “Even last season with Wakiso Giants, I played better in the second round,” he said.
Ssekajugo, who joined URA from Wakiso Giants during the off-season, scored six first round goals for Wakiso. He added seven more in the second round to end the campaign on 13 league goals – three behind top scorer Yunus Sentamu, and seven assists.
Five more goals came in the Uganda Cup, which is also usually played in the second part of the season.
Fast forward to the 2021/22 season and the first round has not been as explosive either.
Troublesome knee
Until last week when he plundered four past Wakiso Giants, Ssekajugo had scored only three goals - all coming in the first round. That is half last season’s tally at the half time break.
“This time round it’s my troublesome knee that slowed me down,” said Ssekajugo, whose injury kept him in and out of the squad.
“You know even when you come back, it’s still on your mind that you could hurt the knee again… It takes time to fully recover from it. But I think I’ve fully recovered and you can see it on the pitch.
“I played my best football in the second round last season, and am happy that I feel in great shape to do it again this season.”
With seven goals already in the league now, and 12 games to go, plus the Uganda Cup still to play, Ssekajugo, who also has one assist in the Caf Confederation Cup, is primed to build on and even upstage his returns from last season.
The former Wakiso, Onduparaka, JMC, The Saints, and KJT player has also had quite an interesting story to his career.
Dad bans him from football
His father never wanted him anywhere near football. While in Senior Four at Hannah Mixed School, coach Jimmy Kisekka lured him to Masaka SS so that he could play for league side Masaka LC at the time.
He moved there but if he actually went to school at Masaka SS, it was a combined two weeks duration – the other half spent in the Masaka LC team camp.
And in 2011, he made his debut for Masaka LC in the topflight league, coming off the bench to score the winner over Fire Masters at Kavumba in the 2-1 victory.
That was the last time he played for Masaka LC. His dad heard the news of Viane Ssekajugo, who had scored the winning goal. Could this be his own? Pictures in the newspapers and on TV proved him right.
He went and dragged his son from Masaka SS and returned him to Hannah Mixed. Ssekajugo was also summarily banned from football by his dad. We are talking 2011.
Ssekajugo’s return to Hannah Mixed lasted as much time as his dad did, there, while dropping him off.
A one coach Mabira connected him to Mawogola SS, where he finally sat his O-Level exams. All this time dad had no idea where the boy was. He then moved to Butambala Community College for his A-Levels. At this time, dad had discovered where he was, and a bursary at Kampala University later finally won the big man over.
“Now he is very proud of me,” Ssekajugo says with a tinge of pride in himself.
His schedule and other inconveniences did interrupt his university education and he paused a bit, but he has since returned and is now in his final year, studying a Bachelor of Business Administration – still at KU.
Topflight football, tormenting defenders and goalkeepers, getting good club contracts, and representing Uganda Cranes – the epitome of a Ugandan player – is hardly a shabby journey.
Maybe the league title finally? URA are third in the table with 34 points, six behind leaders Vipers, with 12 games to go.
“I believe we can win it,” he signed out.
Ssekajugo in 2021/22
First round: Three league goals
Second round: Four league goals, with 12 matches left
A first for him: Scoring four goals against Wakiso last week
Overall so far: Seven goals, four behind leading scorers Caesar Manzoki and Steven Mukwala
Assists: Two
Caf Confed Cup: One assist
Uganda Cup: Not played yet
2020/21 with Wakiso Giants
First round: Six goals league goals.
Second round: Seven league goals
Overall stats 2020/21
Season league total: 13 goals, three behind top scorer Yunus Sentamu
Assists: Seven
Uganda Cup: Five goals
Former clubs: Masaka LC (I game), KJT, The Saints, JMC, Onduparaka, Wakiso Giants
