Leonard Adraa, once the most feared ball striker in Ugandan football, is now an ailing figure.
In his heyday in the 1970s and 1980s, Adraa, now 72 years old, enthralled crowds with his goals. He was remarkably renowned for long-range hard shots that earned him the nickname ‘Black Bomber.’
In his 16-year career, he also intimidated opponents with his huge physique and pace. It was always unwise for a goalkeeper to hold an Adraa shot, even from distance, and defenders dreaded having an Adraa shot landing on the head.
Interestingly, in spite of being some sort of a freak of nature, Adraa was peace personified. Not only was he [he continues to be] a devoutly religious man who never missed wearing a rosary, he only got one yellow card throughout his entire football career.
Out of curiosity, I paid him a visit at his home in Kisalosalo zone, Kyebando in Kawempe division a few days ago. He was composed. However, within a few minutes, I noted the mood in the house was just the calm before the storm.
Adraa looked weak and walked with difficulty. It was clear he was in pain and Maria Nansamba, his wife, explained his plight to me in a sombre mood.
A few months ago, Adraa developed three swellings on his head, which have become extremely painful. These swellings sometimes cause him to lose his memory. She bemoaned the fact that her husband’s doctor prescribed pricey medications, which the struggling family cannot afford.
For most of the 40 minutes I spent with him, our chat centred around the good old days. One thing that stood out is that Adraa believes that had he been born with the current generation of footballers, his physical attributes would easily have made him an all-time great.
But who is Adraa?
EARLY DAYS
For starters, Adraa hails from West Nile where he attended a number of seminary schools, including Pokea Seminary and Lacor Seminary in Gulu, before joining Katigondo Seminary School in Kalungu.
It was at Ggaba Seminary, in Kampala, where Nsambya FC, a club formed by the Catholic church establishment, tapped into his football talent in 1972 by drafting him into their squad. At that time, Nsambya was playing in the second-tier league.
Within just two years, Uganda Cranes coach David Otti had already spotted the 22-year-old Adraa as the ideal replacement for retired legendary striker Polly Ouma.
So, Adraa was part of The Cranes team that travelled to Tanzania for the 1974 Cecafa Cup. He had limited time on the pitch as Uganda finished runners-up to hosts Tanzania.
NSAMBYA MAINSTAY
When Nsambya got promoted to the top-flight in 1975, their first match was against the mighty KCCA FC. The match turned out to be a major breakthrough for Nsambya’s deadly attacking trident of Adraa, Alifunsi Mukanga and John Baptist Semanobe, who all found the back of the net in the 3-2 upset victory.
In the course of the season, Nsambya would go on to shock ‘feared’ Simba 1-0 before holding star-studded Express. With Rapheal Bwire also in the striking line, the newly-promoted side threatened to win the league but ran out of gas at the tail end of the season. For Adraa, he had already established himself as a top-level striker and on October 9, 1975, he came off the bench to score Uganda’s consolation in the 1-2 loss to Zaire in the Independence Day Cup at Nakivubo stadium.
In the opening game of the 1976 Afcon against hosts Ethiopia, Otti named Adraa as the starting number nine ahead of Ouma, who had returned from retirement. But following a 0-2 loss, Adraa lost his place to Ouma and started coming off the bench in subsequent matches.
Later in the year, the coming of Peter Okee as Cranes coach disrupted Adraa’s Cranes appearances. Okee was more interested in ball players than power players and, in one of the shock selections for the 1978 Afcon, he dropped Adraa from the team that travelled to Ghana.
At club level, Adraa remained committed to Nsambya even after KCCA FC made a magnanimous offer for him later in 1978. That turned out to be a lucky charm as Adraa played a key role for Nsambya in defeating UCB FC 1-0 to win the 1978 Uganda Cup title
TURNING TO COACHING
In the years that followed, it became clear that Adraa’s biggest attribute, his power, was waning. In 1988, he officially hung up his boots and began a new career in coaching.
Some of the teams he handled include Arua Young and Lugazi-based Scoul FC. Others include Express, Onduparaka, Atlabara FC and the South Sudan national team (2016- 2017), among others. At some point, the National Football League Committee (NFLC) appointed him as its administrative secretary.
In 1999, he served as Uganda U-23 coach and guided Uganda Kobs to reach the 1999 All Africa Games semi-final in South Africa. He was later named Uganda Cranes’ assistant coach in 2002 before becoming head coach between 2003 and 2004, leading The Cranes through the 2006 Afcon and World Cup group stage qualifiers.
Fast forward to today, Adraa prefers to lie low but that doesn’t take away the fact that he is up to date with football matters and trends. But for his deteriorating health, he is mostly confined to his home.
A legend of the game who needs the help of football stakeholders. For any contribution, one can reach out to his wife on her contact number of 0781534648.
hluzige@gmail.com