Fimbo Junior awakens Mukasa legacy

Andrew 'Fimbo' Mukasa has lived through a number of difficult situations. SC Villa fans would find it difficult not to reminisce about the happier times when their beloved striker was the envy of every club, breaking records and winning trophies for them.

The record books highlight the fact that the Jogoos have won the league a record 16 times, four of them in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 with Mukasa leading with goals.

But while there are so many great memories, his son, Ben Mukasa Fimbo, a Senior Three student of Mityana SS is carrying his father's dynasty.

Whereas his father is into oblivion, Ben, who prefers to be called Fimbo, is ready to take on the world. He has similarities with his father – small body, lightning speed and a thunderous shot. The only difference is that Ben is hardworking, chasing down opponents from box-to- box.

“Most of the people who knew Andrew Mukasa tell me that Fimbo is a photocopy of his father. He can win the game for you and when he’s not in moods, he can lose it for you,” said David Kiwuuwa, the games teacher of Mityana SS.

Not enough

Mityana SS won twice and drew once in seven games as they exited in the groups with seven points at the secondary schools U20 football championship in Fort Portal City.

Mukasa scored just once in the 2-1 win against Dynamic SS Ssonde which he says was below his standards. The other goals for the team were scored by Denis Luggya and his best friend Brian Ijara, a midfielder.

“This was the right platform for me to show what I can do. I am disappointed that I did not score enough goals for my team and I think my fans are not happy with me,” said Mukasa whose target was to be among the top scorers at the tournament.

His father was a beloved figure and an exceptional player, yet his son wants to even be better.

“My father was a great player as everyone who loves football in this country knows but it’s now my time. I have my own targets and I always look to perform better than him,” he said.

Lurking in the shadow

His father is synonymous with goals, a quality that he embodied every time he stepped on the field. He was footballer of the year and top scorer with 45 goals in 1999. He would top the charts again in 2000. He is the first person to score 45 goals in a season, breaking Jimmy Kirunda's record of 32 goals.

It is into the shadow of that legacy that Andrew Mukasa’ son Ben now walks, the 17-year-old guiding the school to their first ever national finals. But make no mistake, he is not being handed an opportunity because of his father’s name.

Kiwuuwa said that Ben scored four of the eight goals the team had in the qualifying campaign to the nationals and that he was a key pillar in the team’s attack.

“My father is a good person and he always encourages me to work harder and be better than what he achieved. He guides me on both academics and football,” Ben said.

Ben was identified as a promising talent at Puma, a fifth division team in Kampala which also brought his father to the fore.

"He is a good player, small but good," Kiwuuwa adds.

Poet on the ball

Ben has a desire to dominate matches, constantly seeking out the ball and then moving it quickly up field. He is both a playmaker and goal scorer. He is actually a poet with the ball.

Out of possession, he impressed with his intensity in pressing yet tactically he has positional awareness as he continues to progress.

Yet he has to grow on his own. He said that his mother hates football because of whatever happened to his husband.

The last born of three, none of them is in sports. The eldest is a medic in Hoima while the second born works in Dubai.

Ben was motivated to stay in the game by his late grandfather George William Matovu, who even passed on souvenirs he got during his amateur playing time including a photo he took with the Kabaka after winning a bicycle competition.

Competitively, Mukasa last appeared for URA FC in 2011 yet the 42-year-old is once again on the team sheet starting with school football. Ben has a lot to live up to.

Mityana’s journey

David Kiwuuwa, the head of the games and sports department at Mityana SS said that they recruited players by offering bursaries.

“I have learnt that if we have to achieve at this stage, we have to make a huge investment in our squad. It is difficult to rely on transferring players from other schools,” Kiwuuwa said.

Mityana SS finished fourth behind Ssingo, Royal Giants and Alliance SS to qualify for the zonal competitions where they meet teams in Mpigi Zone comprising Mityana, Mubende, Kassanda, Mpigi and Butambala

“No one gave us a chance because we had a shortage of competitive players. But we made them confident,” he said. The team did not concede a goal with Arafat Khalil emerging the best goal keeper.

How they performed

Kimaanya 1-0 Mityana

Mbale Progressive 1-1 Mityana

Amus 3-1 Mityana

Dynamic SS 1-2 Mityana

Fort Portal 2-0 Mityana

Victoria HS 0-1 Mityana

Buddo SS 2-0 Mityana