Nakacwa ready to run UMHS engine room after full recovery

The attention most of the players attract from the fans is definitely telling. But midfielder Kevin Nakacwa – clearly underrated – is one of the few hanging next to the lone tent, perhaps our version of the mixed zone, as she catches up with journalists.

She did her work diligently at the heart of Martyrs’ midfield on the day. She always does but her high scoring or more exposed teammates hog the limelight.

But maybe not anymore. The 18 year old midfielder – who takes her love for the game from her father Eugene Bukenya who once served as a referee – is confident of coming out of her shell, scoring more goals and “fighting for the (Fufa Women Super League) title this season.”

Last season when UMHS finished third, Nakacwa scored just one of their 32 goals – a sumptuous rebound from the left after She Corporate cleared her corner kick delivery back into her path at the edge of the box in a game that ended 2-2.

She could have had two but had a rebound from her saved penalty controversially ruled out by the referee in a match they lost 1-0 at home to Tooro Queens, who were eventually relegated.

This term she has already doubled last season’s total by scoring against Rines SS and Asubo-Gafford.

Breakthrough 

Nakacwa’s career came to the fore while playing for the U-17 women’s national team, now christened Teen Cranes, at the Cosafa U-17 Women Championship in 2019.

At the time, coach Ayub Khalifah tasked her with a deeper role to help Shakirah Nyinagahirwa orchestrate play but even then she got the odd goal and loved her role in a team that kept the ball for fun.

She continued to play this role for the same team in the women’s U-17 Cecafa Championship and later the 2020 World Cup qualifiers, where she injured her thigh as they prepared to face Tanzania in the first round after eliminating Ethiopia in the preliminary round.

Her Martyrs teammate Catherine Nagadya sat in for Nakacwa against Tanzania but the latter was sorely missed in the first leg away in Dar-es-Salaam – a thing that paved the way for the now popular Shamirah Nalugya to get summoned ahead of the second leg.

“Before being summoned to the U-17 team, I enjoyed controlling the tempo of the game, running from box to box,” Nakacwa, who started playing the game at Martyrs in her Senior One and now wants to balance the game and her love for fashion designs, shares.

“But when you are asked to play a certain way, you listen to the coach.”

When she returned from injury, Uganda was due to play Cameroon in the final round of qualification but Covid-19 bit and the match was called off.

Getting fitter

When Khalifa got the U-20 coaching role ahead of their World Cup qualifiers and Cecafa tourney last year, he still turned to Nakacwa but with a reduced role, where she was used sparingly to give either Nalugya, Nyinagahirwa or Hadijah Nandago a breather.

“I felt at the time that she was still fearful and did not want to risk much physically in matches,” Khalifa says.

When she returned to the club for the 2022 season, her coach then Rogers Nkugwa was convinced she could do the job and built a midfield with Nakacwa, Esther Naluyimba, Immaculate Nakanjako plus sometimes Anitah Namata and Sumaiyah Nalumu if they were not needed on the wings.

But Nkugwa’s plan was always to quickly get the balls to the wings. New coach Edward Kasozi seems to want it mixed up a bit with the midfield pushing up a bit more.

Big dreams 

With Naluyimba and Namata gone, Nakacwa and Nakanjako have been partnered with Shamusa Najjuma – who was mainly used as a striker last year.

“I am now fully recovered so there is no fear. This team is different because we have to attack fast and the players are not built for the possession game but our style works for us too.

We want to win the trophy as a unit. And I believe it is possible because we are still young, energetic and good at listening to our coaches,” Nakacwa added.

AT A GLANCE
Name: Kevin Nakacwa

Date of birth: May 4, 2004

Parents: Eugene Bukenye (father) & Joyce Nanyonjo (mother)

School/Club: Uganda Martyrs High School – Lubaga

Class: Senior Six

National Team: U-17 World Cup Qualifiers, U-17 Cecafa Championships, U-17 Cosafa Championship, U-20 Cecafa Championships, U-20 World Cup Qualifiers