Top scorer Muhammad Shaban on 14 goals and Nelson Senkatuka, 13 goals will not only be out there to help their respective teams win, but inevitably have their minds focused on the golden boot.
While they have both come very close in previous seasons to top the charts in as far as scoring is concerned, neither has ever won the golden boot. For Senkatuka particularly, it would be a big honour being the first-ever Bright Stars player in history to win the gong.
But even more significantly, it would earn Senkatuka more public appreciation, perhaps something Shaban, the Fufa footballer of the year 2016, has not had to labour much for, even with all his past misdemeanours.
One would be hard-pressed to find anything ill being said about Senkatuka since he made his UPL bow with KCCA back in the 2015/16 season. He scored on his league debut in a 3-0 win over Sadolin away in Jinja.
It all seemed the perfect start for Senkatuka at KCCA. From the Regional League (23 goals in 23 games in 2014), First division (29 goals in 32 in 2015), and even for Mbogo clan, where he was MVP/ top-scorer with 5 goals in 2014 in the Bika By’Abaganda football tournament, which they won.
He top-scored again in 2015 with 6 goals. Senkatuka has won the Bika twice. Such is how decorated he is. Yet, Senkatuka, in the eyes of many, it appears, still has a lot to prove. He said: “Such is life. You cannot please everyone. But my focus is on things I can control, and that is what I am able to do on the field.”
Senkatuka has scored 74 goals in six seasons of the UPL, and even this season, his volley against URA FC (a team he has scored most UPL goals against, 6), is contender for goal of the season. He won the league with KCCA in the 2015/16 season, although he scored only four times.
But that had a lot to do with the fact that he hardly played. In fact, when he joined Proline FC the season after, he was the club’s top-scorer with 11 goals.
He has been second top-scorer twice. In 2017/18, he was one goal shy of Daniel Sserunkuma on 16, and in the 2018/19 season, Senkatuka was two behind Juma Balinya, who bagged 18 for Police FC. And as Senkatuka’s side prepare to face KCCA tomorrow, he noted that the UPL is that sort of league, where strikers have to be given credit because not so many chances are created.
“Most teams are built to defend. So, it is not easy finding space. But at the same time, we do not have many creative players,” Senkatuka said.
Yet, he was quick to mention his appreciation for some of the play-makers that have made it fun for him. Senkatuka, 27, acknowledges that he is an out-and-out centre-forward, who thrives when he has a ten behind him, threading the passes into his running channels.
Players such as Muzamiru Mutyaba, Gift Ali, Noordin Bunjo, Allan Okello and Bright Anukani have made him enjoy the game each time they have played behind him.
However, Senkatuka has not had the best of time in Cranes colours despite playing at two Chan tournaments (2018 and 2023), and boasting of a Cecafa Challenge Cup winners medal in 2015 under coach Micho. With 17 caps, he has only one goal. He has had two starts.
But that does not eat him up. He will continue working for his opportunity. There is probably no better one than the visit of KCCA, where he hopes he can score to help maintain Bright Stars unbeaten run, which is now at six, following the 1-1 draw with SC Villa last Sunday.
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