Africa’s best Aden dares Ugandans

No Ugandan player has ever won a game against South Africa’s Joseph Carl Aden, the best pool player in Africa, and now he has come for them. He arrives in Uganda on Wednesday, according to the organisers of his tour.

All previous encounters have been on foreign soil, either Zambia or South Africa, but the most adored pool player in Africa, Aden, will for his one-week-long stay challenge highly-rated Ibrahim Sejjemba and Caesar Chandiga for a stake of $1,000 (about Shs3.7m).

The 25-year-old is also scheduled to play Azali Lukomwa in Kampala and Glorious Ssenyonjo in Masaka for a Shs2m stake each. More games could be lined up as he is travelling with country mate Rivaldo Jeaven.

In his encounters against Ugandan opposition, only Ibrahim Sejjemba came close losing 9-7 in 2021 while Chandiga took a healthy lead before he froze to lose a money game challenge.

Drama

His tour had turns and twists. Organisers, Peter Kyobe Live, an online streaming service by the Pool Association of Uganda publicist Peter Kyobe, sought financial help from various sources but the outcomes were unlikely, almost tearing apart the fraternity. Different pool managers sought to have Aden at their respective venues which presents an opportunity to charge entry fees not less than Shs10,000.

Ropes were pulled forcing the Black Sheep Arena in Mukono, which had been approached to buy Aden’s ticket, to pull out. After Kyobe raised the funds, other camps celebrated having secured the man, who has defined pool on the African continent in the past decade.

Aden who?

The South African hailing from Free State is a versatile billiards player, who excels in Chinese 8-ball pool, blackball and 9-ball versions. He is a junior World Blackball champion from Perth, Scotland.

Aden, the only African player who participated in the second edition of the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, USA, left with his head high after managing eight frames against the world’s 16th-ranked player Alban Ouschan, in the last 16 of the 9-ball version of the game.

Nicknamed, the Ghost, the eagle-eyed player, skins his opponents with the smallest of margins given to him.

His potting abilities send shivers to the spines of his opponents, yet his quick stinging attacks have left some fans asking whether he ever loses to an African opposition. It could be time for revenge or the South African running away with the bounty and bragging rights to the Rainbow nation.