Same old problems persist for Kawempe

Kawempe coach Ayub Khalifa believes they can compete for the Fufa Women Super League (FWSL) title this season.

But it is going to take more than his words for anyone to believe him.

The player exodus continues with left-back Asia Nakibuuka the latest to jump to Kampala Queens' ship while reserve right-back Florence Nazizi has also moved to Lady Doves.

Khalifa expects to retain defender and captain Aisha Nantongo as the most experienced player in the squad but she has been inconsistent in training.

The lack of experience could be a factor this season as striker Sharon Nadunga, midfielder Rhoda Nanziri and goalkeeper Juliet Adeke could have diminished roles this term.

"I was disappointed in how they performed last season because we put a lot of trust in them to lift the team and it didn't happen. They did not show enough maturity then," Khalifa told SCORE.

"We have decided to give younger players a chance because we would just rather rebuild," he added.

No striker 

The other Achilles heel for Kawempe over the last two years has been the struggle to find goals.

Allen Nasaazi looked like a replacement for Juliet Nalukenge during the shortened version of the FWSL held at Fufa Technical Centre, Njeru in 2021 but she struggled to even command a place in the team last season.

Halimah Kampi and Aziiza Amuleni Amoding are exciting but are still young so they are anything but prolific infront of goal. Hadijah Nandago also seemed not to find her scoring boots for her club.

At the tail end of last season, Khalifa had turned to midfield enforcer Shakirah Nyinagahirwa for goals. 

He was fielding her in an advanced midfield position so she can shoot whenever she got a chance and it seemed to work but it was too late to salvage anything from the season. 

Whether that will be the plan for the new season is something that remains to be seen but Kawempe also run a risk of becoming predictable.

Kawempe, however, have a chance to test their readiness in a competitive setting when they travel go Arusha, Tanzania for the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) Games later this month.

Club: Kawempe Muslim

Coach: Ayub Khalifa 

Captain: Aisha Nantongo

Home ground: Kawempe Muslim SS

Major titles: Fufa Women Elite League 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018