The Jinja-based side is providing hope of the return of mainstream football in Jinja city and eastern Uganda at large. BUL is currently the only unbeaten UPL side and tops the log with 14 points from six games. The key to their strong start can be attributed to turning their home ground of Njeru technical centre into a fortress.
Last season, Alex Isabirye’s charges defied odds to finish fourth in the league and went on to show it wasn’t a fluke by defeating league champions Vipers SC to win the Uganda Cup. BUL’s performance has reignited excitement in Jinja, a onetime football powerbase that birthed great teams like Nile FC, Nytil FC and Tobacco FC, among others.
JINJA SUPREMACY IN 1980
The trio may be defunct but it was once formidable and terrorized teams from Kampala. These clubs were a joy to watch. To this day, Nile FC, which was nicknamed Omuliro, remains the only upcountry club to win the national league title. Their moment came in 1980 and that season is best remembered for being Jinja two-horse race because Nile’s biggest rival was cross-city neighbours Nytil.
On the final day of the season, the permutation was that Nytil needed Maroons to beat Nile in order to take the trophy while a win for Nile would guarantee them the trophy.
The two Jinja clubs ferried hundreds of fans to Kampala for the game at Nakivubo and by 2pm, the stadium was full to capacity. The night before, Nile FC officials stirred controversy when they tried to influence the game by ‘visiting’ Maroon’s camp.
Nonetheless, it turned out to be a fiercely competitive match and the first half ended goalless. In the second half, Nile scored the all-important goal that gave them the trophy and spark wild celebrations in Jinja.
Those days, Jinja had established itself as the cradle of the country’s top football talents and the two Jinja rivals produced some of Uganda’s best players. Nile had Matthew Lucha, Paul Orya, Patrick Lwanga, Sam Natulya, Natal Mwaka, Adam Wenga, Elias Wapicho, Cloves Segujja, skipper Edward Kinobe and Christopher Ddungu.
Nytil, on the other hand, had goalie Patrick Lukalu, Charles Namakoola, Issa Sekatawa, Richard Kembo, Fred Isabirye, Geoffrey Higenyi, Phillip Musoke, Jack Ntale and Frank Lukomwa.
The two clubs also had seasoned administrators like Twaha Kakaire, Israel Kintu, Abdul Kalule, Sam Mukama, and Mohammad Dollo. So rich was the game of football in Jinja that at all times when the two teams met at Bugembe or Kakindu stadiums, work would come to a standstill.
The intense rivalry of the two teams also helped the rise of Tobacco FC, which nurtured great players Stephen Bogere, Godfrey Seruwagi, Sunday Mokiri, Moses Basena, Edward Kaziba, goalies Bright Dhaira and David Mugerwa.
In 1986, Tobacco shocked the nation when it finished runners-up to double champions SC Villa in both the league and Uganda Cup. The team went on to feature in the Africa Cup Winners Cup and Cecafa Club’s Championship.
The then industrial town of Jinja also birthed Millers FC, though it spent only two years in the topflight. It groomed future stars like Mike Mulo, Mustafa Mutumba and Herbert Sentongo. Overall, top-level football extended to Mbale, whose first big club was Gangama before it morphed into Mbale Heroes.
Gangama was the first upcountry club to win the Uganda Cup when they defeated Coffee FC in 1976. Unfortunately, eastern Uganda today hardly has anything to boast about in football apart from BUL.
The demise of these former giants tells a sad story of Uganda’s game. Just imagine, Mbale Heroes groomed the likes of Abdallah Fit, Peter Wandyette, Paul Hasule, Sam Natulya, Rashid Bwire, George Osilo, George Otto and Henry Bwire among others.
It may take another generation to see the rise of such national team-level stars. BUL cannot do it alone but I am glad it has already proven to be the glue to link upcoming footballers in Jinja and the nearest cities and towns.
Even before fans can dream of a return to the good old days in eastern Uganda, there is need for identity football. This requires teams and players that represent the region. BUL has already done its part and the ball is in the court of other teams from the region.
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