Football256 Award lifts gloom off dedicated stalwart Wadada

Reward Of Hardwork. Football256 co-director Clive Kyazze (L) hands over the 256 Footballer of the Year Award to Azam FC defender Wadada in Kampala on Wednesday. PHOTO | JB SSENKUBUGE

It’s been a difficult week or so for Uganda Cranes defender Nicholas Wadada. The national team laboured to victory and then sufferred defeat to South Sudan in the on-going Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The right back was involved in both games but never really hit the heights he has for his club side, Tanzania’s Azam.

He will return to his club this weekend a happier man after being crowned the Football256 Footballer of the Year.

Wadada gathered 86,958 votes beating left back Mustapha Kizza (Montreal Impact, Canada). The latter got 79,591 votes for second place. 

How they polled

Striker Fahad Bayo was third with 58,061 votes in the online poll.

Midfielder Farouk Miya (Konyaspor, Turkey) and striker Steven Mukwala (URA) came fourth and fifth respectively with 44,450 and 33,091. “I am grateful to the almighty because winning such a prestigious award is not an easy feat,” Wadada said in an interview with Football256, the online website behind the award.

“It is a great honour and I appreciate the organisers for this accolade.”

“This achievement goes down to hard work and dedication, but I would like to share this accolade with my family, teammates, fans and everyone who has been part of my journey so far,” he added.

“There is no limit to what you can achieve when you put yourself to and this is a fruit of my dedication and hard work.”

This was the second edition of the award which makes Wadada the first defender to win it after midfielder Allan Okello took the inaugural ‘ball’.

In his third season, the ex-Vipers player was voted the best defender in the Vodafone Tanzania Premier League last season. 

WADADA PROFILE

Full name: Nicholas Wakiro Wadada
Date of birth: July 27, 1994
Playing position: Defender
Jersey: 14
Current team: Azam (Tanzania)
Former clubs: Bunamwaya, Vipers SC,
National team: Uganda since 2013
Club Career

2010-2013: Bunamwaya FC 2013-2018: Vipers SC 2018- : Azam
HONOURS
Uganda Premier League 

(2014-15, 2017-18)
Uganda Cup: 

2015; Runners-up 2013, 2018
Fufa Super Cup: 2016

UGANDA CRANES
Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup: 2013, 2016