My father gave me books and boots – Munaaba

Now, as chief executive officer, he aims to restore that lost glory.Unlike most peers who turned to coaching, he never revered the coaching job but instead envisioned a future in football administration from his formative years.

Following his father James Kisambira’s valuable advice to take football and education seriously, the second born in a family of five does not regret.

His background in finance and marketing made the transition even smoother.Munaaba is a model for players looking to transition into administration after football and they're few who have done that spectacularly. 

In this interview, he shares his journey and transition into football, challenges and tips to footballers who want a different path from the rest.

You played for Villa but spent your better career at URA. What made you so loyal to the club and what were your standout moments as a player?

Well, URA gave me that sense of belonging and actually their core values and their set-up was wonderful. They had a serious and organised management including the current CEO of UPL Bernard Bainamani, who were very strict.

So I grew up under people who are like parents.My stand-out moment was, I think, beating KCC to win my first league title on the last day of the league.

When did you start thinking about life after football? 

Immediately I started playing, my father told me: “I'll give you boots and books, but you have to take both of them seriously [if you want to succeed] because football is a short career.

So while I was playing, I had to study to prepare for the years and I am versatile because I can go into marketing or finance even outside football.

What inspired you to transition into administration instead of coaching?

To be honest, I never wanted to be a coach. I only thought of going into administration in football or business.

What challenges did you face while moving from playing to management, and how did you prepare for the shift?

Retiring from [playing] football was a very big decision to make because you know the glamour life, the ambience, the atmosphere, the passion and the game itself, it was really hard.

But there's that moment where you reach and feel that it’s time to move on. But I was ready for it because I had my transcripts ready and then the Covid break made the transition faster.

Many players struggle after retirement. What advice do you have for young footballers about planning for life after the game?

The time to start is now. Where there was Lionel Messi there is Lamin Yamal today in a space of 10 years, that’s how fast the world moves.

The truth is they must go to school and attain a certificate, diploma or a degree or do these technical courses in carpentry and the likes. The whole essence of the thing is they should look at football as being a career of 10 to 15 years. 

As chief executive officer of URA FC, what are your main responsibilities, and how do you balance football and business operations?

My main responsibility is governance, business, marketing and finance.  I'm supposed to ensure the club is financially stable, have good governance practices in management that go down to the players.

When you look at the code of conduct, I have to ensure that the business runs with astute and good employees in terms of the technical secretariat and the players. So basically, I'm supposed to be the focal point of the club to ensure I give the club direction.

Since taking charge, what key changes have you introduced to improve the club’s structure and competitiveness?

We've actually changed some core values, including patriotism and more collaboration. Because we notice people have to have a common cause regardless of the challenges they are facing.

So they have to be patriotic to a cause. I've encouraged the coaches to go for more capacity building sessions as well as secretariat. That is the internal processes. Everything we are doing is according to the strategic plan that I developed.

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We want to move in a proper direction and that’s why we're trying to employ learned fellows like Innocent Kisolo and [Godfrey] Ssekibengo so that we prepare them.

After 10 years, they will have a transcript that will help them transit into managing the club. We are looking at sustainable development through football.

URA FC has struggled to win major titles in recent years. You won about four trophies for them – two in the league and two in the Uganda Cup. What is being done to restore the club’s dominance?

Actually, they’re more because there’s also the Mapinduzi and Fufa Super Cup, they're not easy to win so give them credit. [Smiles sheepishly].

We want to go according to plan because it's been a long time since we took a trophy. So we cannot just rush for a trophy. We have to plan. 

All along, the club had so many changes in the technical team and a huge player exodus. So we haven't had team chemistry and cohesion.

But if you look at the current setup, we've actually renewed some players' contracts and retained some good youngsters because our average squad age is currently around 23 years.

So we hope to have those players in the next three or so years. In that period, we know we can win titles.

You recently brought back Alex Isabirye as head coach. What informed that decision, and what are your expectations from him? 

Isabirye was my former teammate, former coach and now working together. With him, we won titles so, he knows that I am a winner and I know he is a winner.

I brought him with the expectation that he brings that winning mentality back to the club because he's good at player management and improving the players' character in general.

We have a good working relationship. And I know we've not kicked off so well, but at least you can see there's a positive whereby we've reached the last 16 of Uganda Cup. He is a man that I believe can achieve glory together.

Will you extend his contract?

That will depend on many factors but good enough he's a man that you can sit on the table and discuss with.If things aren't moving on well, we say, you know what, this is this? But if things are moving on well, we ask now what do we do next?

Football, world over, is dynamic and a game of results but we shall see when we get there.

What do you see as the biggest challenges in running a football club in Uganda today?

Infrastructure because it's a general problem. Without it, clubs can't develop their own finances because they don't own stadiums. Most clubs are in the tenancy model.

Talking about infrastructure, URA had a plan to construct one ten years ago when you were still a player but nothing to show. In fact URA is the biggest nomad in the league playing from Lugazi, Kyetume, Namboole and now Nakivubo. Did the plan stall or die naturally?

I found a pitch project running and we’ve actually submitted more proposals. We did some boundary opening and checked the land.

Now the challenge is that a stadium is a huge capital expenditure that takes billions of money that may include lobbying from the government since we're a government club.

There’s this notion that URA has money but the budget that we have is supposed to carry out the daily operations like players contracting and the likes.

The stadium is entirely different especially if you have followed the figures being mentioned in building new stadiums for Afcon 2027.

What needs to change in Ugandan football to better prepare players for life after the game?

Actually they need to increase capacity building sessions for players in particular. They sit them down, take them through and show them what they could call a dream chart or a football development path.

Then life after football immediately.It should be taught to them because they are being taught how to win, how to compete, something of that sort. But now how to plan? Actually financial skills are one because they usually spend on liabilities, clothes, other than buying land.

How can football clubs and institutions better support players in transitioning into post-playing careers?

By onboarding these players as interns initially, casual workers and then permanent employees. And they will still do it, but the challenges they are having, for example if you look at Maroons, most of them transition into coaching.Look at UPDF, they join the army.

At URA, we have some who have come as interns but the main challenge is that they don't have transcripts. So someone has to support you when you have a basis.

If you look at [Paul] Mucureezi (Nec midfielder), he stands a high chance because he is educated and has a high profile at Nec.  So by the time they interrelate, they see someone that is employable and he has the papers, so they can train him and help him join.

What is your message to young footballers aspiring for long and impactful careers both on and off the pitch?

Well, my message is they need to focus on two key things on the pitch, tactics and consistency. Follow whichever coach's tactics and be consistent each day.

There will always be that bad day, but you should have one bad day in office, not 10 bad days or three bad daysAnd ensure you use this career to the best of your ability while you still can.

And off pitch, feed well, rest well, try to read, try to research even the game you're playing because this is where you're earning money. And try to find out about how life in general goes as you're still young.Find out about what happens in the country beyond football.

Look at how the country is operating, what is the cost of things so that you get to know how to plan.

FUN FACTS

Here I really want to get into your nerves a bit. I need you to answer this without explaining a lot:What do you do beyond football to ease pressure?

I usually listen to country music. It's a bit slow and it keeps me calm.

Who is the toughest opponent you’ve faced

Dan Wagaluka. He was fast, he would dribble, was very sharp and could cross.

Who is the best player you’ve played with?

Steven Bengo. He was a complete guy.

Quickly give us the all-time XI of players you’ve played with 

(Laughs loudly). You got me there but it’s a simple one. Abel Dhaira; Simeone Masaba, Sam Mubiru, Joseph Owino, Philip Obwiny; Oscar Agaba; Dan Wagaluka, Augustine Nsumba, Stephen Bengo, Mike Sserumaga; and who else other than Robert Ssentongo.