Believe in us too – Mbekeka

To call Oliver Mbekeka a trailblazer would be an understatement. The coach who recently shattered a new barrier to become the first woman to coach in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League has now become a beacon of hope and a symbol for a quiet revolution. Mbekeka’s world has many firsts. She was among the first Ugandans to play at an Africa Women's Cup of Nations. She is also among the first Ugandans to play at a football world cup.

Mbekeka is not just an ordinary woman daring to step onto a football field initially designed for men but a force of the game drifting toward a future many thought impossible. 

Her one-game spell ended with Lugazi appointing ex-SC Villa and Uganda Cranes midfielder Steven Bogere as coach. Bogere has previously handled many teams in the league and Buganda Masaza Cup. We caught up with her to get a feeling of her newest achievement.

Congratulations on your new milestone

Thank you.

How did that debut moment feel?

It was great. I’m the happiest woman in the world right now. God has fulfilled my long-term prayers and for Him to grant me this opportunity, I feel honoured. I prayed and believed that I was going to make it one day.

Did the interim promotion come as a surprise?

Yes, but I have always been preparing though this was a surprise bearing in mind the circumstances.

How much had you prepared for such a moment?

You see, I started this journey in 2007 and believed that I would reach there one day. I kept pushing hard and when I was named the assistant coach, it was now clear to me that I was on the path to become a head coach very soon. I thank coach Sadiq Ssempigi and the club chairman Hajj Abdu Mwanje Kawuulu for the opportunity.

How much have you invested to reach here?

I have read books and attended every coaching course that came my way. I focused on my personal development and kept learning from the head coaches who gave me the chance like Ssempigi but above all, discipline and patience.

Talking about learning, what are the challenges you faced as a woman deputizing male coaches?

I have been an assistant to male coaches almost all my coaching career and I have learnt a lot from them. Working under people is not easy because you have to cope with everything and understand that person. You may have a different idea of something but you have to work to build your leader’s idea first. So, I try to enter into their minds to understand them so that we can walk together.

What advice can you give to women who are aspiring to be coaches?

First of all, you have to attend the courses to match the male coaches in qualifications. You must also accept to be humble and learn unique things. There’s also no space for self-pity, you have to get your hands dirty and work hard from anywhere. This field rewards only the patient and hard workers; you may not be paid instantly but you must persevere and keep working. If there are no opportunities, create them by volunteering so that people recognize your skills.  Start with young children as you progress.

But most importantly, you must set a goal and believe in yourself that you can achieve. Find role models who can inspire you.

Which role model inspires you?

One of them is Pep Guardiola. I strive to be bold like him and want my team to play that type of beautiful football.

I was also inspired by a certain woman (Fran Hilton-Smith) who was coaching South Africa at the Awcon in 2000 where I played for the Cranes. Their (S.Africa) captain then who is now coaching them (Desiree Ellis) is another inspiration to me.

You were a pillar of that Crested Cranes team that debuted in 2000. What was it like to make your debuts at the Awcon?

Enormous. It felt really good that even if there wasn’t money at that time, you have that feeling of satisfaction – playing at the top for your country.

Then, what made you change your nationality to DR Congo?

When I was a young player, my dad told me to set a goal that I wanted to attain one day. As a player, I had a dream to play at the world cup one day. So, I got a chance to play for a club (La Source de Kivu) in Dr. Congo and they invited me to play for their national team in 2004. I consulted my coach Paul Ssali and he blessed me to take the chance. I went with Annet [Nakimbugwe] (Mother of Hassifa Nassuna) and played our hearts out and qualified for the [2004 U-20 Fifa Women’s] World Cup in Moscow, [Russia].

That makes you one of the very few Ugandans to have featured at a football World Cup. How was the feeling?

Many people do not believe that we actually played there but I’m telling you it was quite an unforgettable experience for us. (This writer can confirm the two played under the names Oliva Amani and Annete Nshimire from the Fifa records). We were hurt because we failed to qualify out of the group and stay longer but the exposure fired us up to fight and return.

We fought for qualification [in 2007] and beat teams like Egypt and South Africa to qualify alongside Nigeria for the 2008 [U-20 Women] World Cup in Chile. To me those were very special moments.

How did you break into this male-dominated space?

I don’t know what coach Sadiq [Ssempigi] saw in me when we were studying a Caf B course in Njeru but he trusted me and introduced me to the Uganda Premier League as his assistant [at Lugazi]. That is how I got myself here and I will be forever grateful [to him] for this.

After breaking this barrier, do you feel some responsibility to represent female coaches now that you’re a pioneer in the UPL?

Yes, this is just the beginning. Being the first woman to coach a UPL club means that I have to work extra hard. I have no time to rest anymore. I’m now focusing on bigger things. I’m an interim head coach but now I have to fight to get a full job.

How do you handle this pressure?

I have been a captain at the clubs and the national team even in Congo. This has prepared me a lot. It is about how you handle and conduct yourself.

You must try to balance the pressure from the bosses and personal ambition.

Take us through your preparations for that Express debut.

To be honest, I didn’t sleep for those two days. I quickly started researching and studying their style of play, game models and behaviour of their players. They have a rich technical bench with experience and I had to analyse their philosophy and possible strategies. I’m glad we won it and started on a good note against the oldest and biggest club in the country. [Smiles]

What was the response of your players when you were announced the head coach?

I have been on the team for three months and so they were used to me though I needed to talk to them. Everyone including I was used to the former coach but we needed to move.

What specific words did you tell them in your first meeting?

Look, guys, I’m the coach now. It was my dream to become the head coach of a UPL club but I did not expect it to come this way. Let us work together and write history; it might be my day or yours but let’s work to lift the team.

What needs to be done to have more Mbekekas up there?

People have to believe and trust us. Coach Ssempigi trusted me and appointed me his assistant though things didn’t go as we planned. The chairman [Abdu] Kawulu believed me and gave me a job. He told me: Olive, take over, it's your turn now. But I was prepared the moment I was named a deputy, I knew that one day even if not at Lugazi, I would become a head coach somewhere. Many women can coach football but what we lack is the chance.

But I must warn women, that as we ask men to believe in us, women must be prepared to take the roles when called upon.

What moment has inspired you so much as a player or coach?

That moment when we stepped on the pitch in Awcon 2000 is exceptional. It inspired me so much that everything is possible. It made me believe in my dreams. [Takes a deep emotional breath].