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Twice retired, never done: Okhuti's remarkable journey to coach-player job
Okhuti calls the shorts on and off the pitch. PHOTO/COURTESY OF ONDUPARAKA
What you need to know:
Few players have attempted the rare dual roles and succeeded in both in recent times. There was Sam Ssimbwa and Fred Makokha at Mbale Heroes, Livingstone Mbabazi at Lweza and George Ssimwogerere at Masaka Local Council.
Ceasar Okhuti has lived through it all—the highs, the lows, and everything in between. In a career that has spanned almost two decades, the son of West Nile has grown from amateur to professional and now has a rare coach-player role at Onduparaka in the Fufa Big League.
Few players have attempted the rare dual roles and succeeded in both in recent times. There was Sam Ssimbwa and Fred Makokha at Mbale Heroes, Livingstone Mbabazi at Lweza and George Ssimwogerere at Masaka Local Council.
With his foot firmly on the field, as he leads the scorers' chart with three goals so far and a mind sharp on the sidelines with the Caterpillars sitting fourth in the race, Okhuti is redefining the coach-player role in what could end as one of the most fascinating stories this season.
Birth of a star
Okhuti’s entry into football was as unexpected as it was explosive. Emerging coach Steven Okut unearthed Okhuti’s talent while he was a senior two student at Mvara SS in Arua.
“I saw him the first time and knew that he was exceptional so I wanted to bring him to my team (Mechora Youth Centre) where I was coaching but instead I moved to his school,” Okut reveals in a previous interview.
Okut’s first task was to draw Okhuti near the goal in a number nine position from the left wing. The stout-hearted striker quickly drew the attention of Edioffe Hills where he joined in 2006. A year later, he helped the team to qualify to the Uganda Premier League.
He launched himself onto the national scene with bravado, scoring a brace against defending champions URA on his debut. Then scored three more in his first five games to take the nation by surprise.
His performances earned him an instant call-up to the Uganda Cranes, then coached by Romanian-Hungarian Csaba Laszlo. Okhuti’s international debut came in December 2007 during a Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup held in Tanzania.
While his international debut wasn’t as explosive as his club’s, his thunderous 20th-minute goal and the winning penalty against Kenya in the quarterfinal hinted at his potential.
Most expensive signing
Okhuti scored 12 goals but lost the Golden Boot to Brian Umony by two goals.
Another stunning goal for Uganda against Libya in March 2008 soared his reputation. Later on, Bunnamwaya (now Vipers SC) came calling with an irresistible record transfer fee of Shs12m with a scholarship to do his A-Level at St. Mary’s Kitende.
Rising from a setback
His start at Vipers was blighted with a back injury that sidelined him for two months. Okhuti returned energized to score 18 goals, missing the golden boot by a margin of four goals.
He was instrumental the next season as Vipers won their maiden title but what followed was drama.
Okhuti disappeared from the club, returned but later left for brief stints at Vissai Ninh Bình in Vietnam and then to South Sudan’s El Nasir. He returned in 2015 and joined Onduparaka, helping them to earn promotion to the UPL before moving on to Express.
Second chances
“As you grow you make mistakes but you have to learn from them,” Okhuti admits, reflecting on his career.
His return reignited his performance earning him a national team call by then coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic for Cecafa 2015 which was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
He scored two goals including the title-winning header against Rwanda to win his first trophy in national colours.
First retirement
He moved to rivals KCCA in January 2016 but his debut was pegged by an injury that sidelined him. He debuted with a brace against Soana but could not help the club win silverware. He returned to Onduparaka in 2017 and played till 2020 when he crossed over to money bags Arua Hill.
Okhuti captained the club to the Fufa Big League title and earned promotion to the UPL in 2021 but decided to hang his boots. He took a coaching role as Livingstone Mbabazi’s assistant at the club.
Coach-player
Okhuti’s dual role at Onduparaka was one of last season's most intriguing stories. He duly reinvented the forgotten odd job – the coach-player, a rare and challenging combination in modern football.
Though he was appointed head coach, he felt he could demonstrate some things easily by doing rather than coaching someone else.
And boy, he did it with flair, scoring eight goals and a couple of assists for the Caterpillars but could not earn them promotion.
Juggling the rarity
In this role, Okhuti juggles competing demands but how does he do it?
“I make a match day programme and share it with my technical team, who then help me to select the team and strategize,” he smiles cheekily and leans back on his seat. His assistant Stephen Ekiddu is key, he coached him at one moment but now facilitates the delicate balance.
“When on the field, I look at him as my coach and not my assistant,” he explains. “I have to create more time to prepare myself as a player to catch up,” Okhuti continues explaining.
Okhuti joined Bunnamwaya (now Vipers SC) for Shs12m. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE
Home sweet home
Okhuti had announced another retirement after the end of last season but it was not the real one, just yet.
“It is my home and when your people call you, it’s hard to turn it down,” Okhuti says with a gesture.
“They told me that I still have it and I asked myself “why not?”
Okhuti attributes his first retirement call to stiff competition at Arua Hill under Mbabazi but appreciates the invaluable lessons learnt from the coach.
Sad reality
Okhuti has played for all Arua teams that have graced the UPL. Over the weekend, his Onduparaka beat Arua Hill at Greenlight Stadium 1-0. That stadium was once a fortress that was feared by many. The fixture used to be a fiercely contested derby but as it marks three years since the first was played in UPL, none is in the topflight currently. A sad reality soured even further by the fact that Arua Hill was travelling from their new base in Gulu.
“If these teams do not go up, our talented players from West Nile will miss a huge stage to expose themselves like I did.
“It is sad that our people from West Nile, especially the business community do not support football that much. I urge them to come and support football because it is one thing we are very rich in,” he concluded with a call.
Final retirement?
Okhuti is revelling in his temporary dual role as a mentor for younger players, using his life experiences over the past two decades.
“I will just announce when it reaches but it is not very far from now because I don’t want to announce it and again cancel,” he says with a loud smile.
FUFA BIG LEAGUE
Weekend results
Calvary 0-0 Booma
Paidha 1-0 Busoga United
Kigezi Home Boyz 1-0 Kataka
Onduparaka 1-0 Arua Hill
Buhimba United 0-2 Gaddafi
Myda 0-2 Ntugasaze
Calvary 3-1 Busoga United
Ceasar Okhuti profile
Date of birth: October 7, 1990
Position: Forward
Clubs played for
2006–2008: Ediofe Hills
2008–2012: Bunamwaya
2011: Vissai Ninh Bình (Vietnam)
2012–2014: Vipers (4)
2014–2015: El Nasir (S.Sudan)
2015: Onduparaka FC
2015–2016: Express
2016: KCCA
2017–2019: Onduparaka
2020–2021: Arua Hill
2023 to date: Onduparaka
Coaching: Mvara SS, West Nile province & Onduparaka
