Prime
Celebrating Umeme FC’s last generation
Standing L-R: Charles Ogwang, Joseph Ssenyange, Bernard Okongo, Fred Habineza, Patrick Mbaziira and Ibrahim Kongo. Kneeling L-R: David Kazibwe, Davis Odowa (RIP), Julius Kibombo, Iddi Batambuze and John Mandwara. COURTESY PHOTO
What you need to know:
FOOTBALL. Before closing shop in the late 1990s, Umeme FC was a powerhouse in Uganda. In 1996, coaches Joseph Kabundi (RIP) and Asuman Lubowa assembled what many football romantics referred to as their best-ever side. The team went on to win the Uganda Cup beating Nile 1-0. Below is the team
Charles Ogwang: He was the club’s most potent striker and captain. The multi-skilled player joined the club at the start of the 1995 season from UCB as a goalkeeper. Ogwang started his career at Kibuli SS and Wandegeya. UCB snapped him up in 1988 but when the team was relegated in 1994, he moved to Umeme.
Ogwang’s last game in UCB colours was against Uganda Airlines and it changed his career altogether. Because the team had already been relegated, coach Ben ‘Big Ben’ Omoding played Ogwang upfront and he scored three goals.
When Ibrahim Kongo joined Umeme from KCC, Ogwang was pushed upfront and he never disappointed. He scored 22 goals in 1995, 20 in 1996 and became league top scorer with 18 in 1997.
A call-up to the national youth teams and later The Cranes followed. He quit soccer when he went to the UK for studies in 1999. Until December 2015, Ogwang was chief environment sustainability manager at Kolin Construction Company in the Albertine Region.
He now runs K-Fire Crew Ltd, an occupational health and safety company dealing in fire-fighting training and equipment.
Joseph Ssenyange: Playing at left-back, Ssenyange was good at thwarting opposition wingers with his game reading. He was signed from Luwero. From Umeme, he went on to play for Kinyara FC and is currently settled in Masindi.
Bernard Okongo: Signed from Diary FC, he was able to play in defence and defensive midfield departments. He is now a UK citizen.
Fred Habineza: A defender with brains and tenacity, Habineza was the team’s defensive bedrock. Like many of his teammates, he was also signed from Wandegeya. He is now the coach at Kampala Parents School and also coaches Civicon Construction Company’s team that plays in the Corporate League.
Patrick Mbaziira: One of the pioneer players at Umeme. He went on to play for various clubs and the Uganda Cranes. He is currently in Bangladesh where he turned into a businessman after retiring.
Ibrahim Kongo: The lanky goalie started out at Maroons before crossing to KCC, from where Umeme signed him.
After the team’s collapse, Kongo joined Masaka LC in 2000 and later, briefly, played for Express and Villa before crossing to Rwanda, where he still is doing some coaching.
David Kazibwe: He was Fred Habineza’s partner in the heart of defence. Signed from Makindye, Kazibwe went on to play for a host of clubs including URA FC, where he won the 2005 Uganda Cup. He is now at Wandegeya FC as a coach/player.
Davis Odowa (RIP): Part of the Express team that won the Uganda Cup in 1994 and reached the semi-finals of the Africa Confederations Cup in 1995 before joining Umeme. Odowa’s talent was discovered by Edris Nyombi early at St. Balikuddembe Mitala Maria in 1990. He passed on in the early 2000s.
Julius Kibombo: A talented player comfortable at right wing and in midfield, Umeme acquired him from Miracle FC. He later went on to play for Express and SC Villa. He is currently settled in Makindye.
Iddi Batambuze: One of the midfielders to watch in his heyday, Batambuze played for a number of clubs. Most fans will remember him for his time at Villa where he partnered the likes of Edgar Watson, James Odoch and Hakim Magumba to devastating effect. He went on to play in Vietnam, Malaysia and Bangladesh, where he still is.
John Mandwara: Playing at right-back, Mandwara joined Umeme from KCC with the likes of Ibrahim Kizito and Kongo in 1995. He went on to play for Express and SC Villa before retiring into private business. He started a tailoring shop near Arua Park but has since shifted it to South Sudan, where he is based now.
Other notable players of Umeme that year include:
Eric Anyole (RIP): A defensive midfielder signed from Tororo, Anyole also played for Villa, among others, before passing on in 2005.
Nimrod Kaboha: A talented footballer/basketballer. He is now the head coach at KIU Rangers in the Fuba Women’s National Elite League.
Robert Tumusiime: One of longest serving players in the local game, Tumusiime started his career at Wandegeya FC. He then joined UCB and, later, Umeme but is mostly remembered for his time at Villa. He has played for a number of clubs but injuries have troubled him a lot. He is currently an administrator at Wandegeya.
Ali Lukungu: Recruited from Walukuba Estates in Jinja, he was capable of playing as a midfielder and second striker. He is moved to the United States.
