I do not watch many football matches of late but a few weeks ago, I decided to attend SC Villa’s Uganda Premier League match against Maroons at Wankulukuku.
It turned out to be a dull 90 minutes as the hosts deservedly lost 0-2. Shortly after as I headed for the exit, I saw a familiar figure rushing to have a word with dejected Villa players. It turned out to be Sam Mubiru, the Villa vice president, Technical.
Few things have changed about Mubiru. Apart from the grey hair, he looked youthful for a man who manned the country’s best midfield some 40 years ago. I opted not to reach out to him as he led the players to the locker-room, perhaps to read out the riot act to the players.
Tellingly, I noted that only a handful of people at the stadium knew who Mubiru is or how great he was. For those who didn’t see him in action, Mubiru was the driving force in SC Villa’s midfield during one of their most successful spells in the late 1980s.
He was one of the most influential young players to have represented the Villa Park side. He championed the midfield, helping the club win four leagues, plus three Uganda Cups and one Cecafa Cup title.
FORMATIVE YEARS
Mubiru hails from Mabuye-Bukandula, Gomba. His football career started at St Mary’s College Kisubi and was enhanced at Old Kampala SS, where he was recruited by Luzira-based Maroons FC in 1979.
Mubiru had a lot of pace to burn and his darting runs into the box created many chances for teammates. Back then, Maroons head coach Peter Okee loved the young man’s decision-making ability, precise passing and ability to control the game in the middle pack. His consistent play and combative approach prompted Maroons first-choice goalkeeper, Franco Buteri, to nickname him ‘Men.’
FROM MAROONS TO SC VILLA
At Maroons, Mubiru was part of the deadly forward line of Abbey Nasur, James Kalisa, Ali Kiggala, Denis Obua and Evans Abwoli. His immense talent was admired by SC Villa supremo Patrick Edward Kawooya, who wooed him to Villa Park in 1981.
He became a regular starter at SC Villa and took over the iconic No. 4 jersey which Sam Tamale ‘Kapeera’ had vacated. His vision, intelligence and leadership surpassed his young age of 20 years.
His battles with Moses Nsereko, the playmaker for KCCA FC, remain vivid in my memory. At that time, there used to be a saying went, “stop Nsereko and defeat KCCA.”
Mubiru best understood it. He scored four goals in the 1982 season, which saw SC Villa win its maiden league title unbeaten. From then on, Villa dominated Ugandan football for the rest of the decade, with Mubiru fully involved in the success the success.
In 1984, he earned a place in the Uganda Cranes squad but the presence of seniors such as Fred Mugisha and Godfrey Kisitu limited playing time. That was until 1986 when he secured the permanent place in the Uganda Cranes side.
A year earlier, he had been handed the Villa captain’s armband following the departure of Jamil Kasirye. But in 1986, new Villa coach Polly Ouma, a firm believer that leadership starts from defence, switched the captaincy to Paul Hasule. The move worked for the Jogoos, as the team won the first club double.
END OF AN ERA
In 1988, signs emerged that Mubiru’s glittering career was nearing an end following a series of injuries which sidelined him for weeks. So, he decided to end his football career a few weeks before the end of the season before relocating to the United Kingdom.
He returned in 1991 and co-started MM Integrals. He also worked at Kagga & Partners Ltd before moving to the ministry of Works. Last year, the Villa leadership named him vice president, Technical, the position that makes him the overall head of all the club’s technical matters.
hluzige@gmail.com