Kitara gear up for roaring season

Hoima is buzzing with anticipation and excitement as the city of oil prepares to welcome their first StarTimes Uganda Premier League match on Thursday, September 19 when their beloved Kitara host Maroons.

Last season was stunning for the Kabalega Royals where they pulled out a massive fan base, upset the status quo to win the Stanbic Uganda Cup, and came intriguingly close to clinching a league title.

Home sweet home

Kitara defied expectations in their comeback to the topflight last season and a return to Hoima at their Royal Park in Butema will surely spice things up.

“The team is set and only waiting for the season to start,” their coach Brian Ssenyondo says.

“Playing in Hoima at our real home is an advantage because we expect more fans this time round. The fans used to incur costs to travel to Masindi so now we expect massive support that will give us a good run,” he asserts.

Kitara’s debut on the continent left coach Ssenyondo with lots of lessons to build on. First, the team was disadvantaged to play both games away from home but their fans will now have the team closer to home in the league as they return to Hoima.

Omedi-Amaku goals

The club also managed to score four goals in two matches with three different scorers, underlying Omedi’s consistency and their diverse sources of goals.

Besides KCCA, Kitara had the most lethal attacking line led by Denis Omedi last season. Omedi scored 15 and assisted four of the Royals’ tally of 46 last season, goals that only fell two short of Shaban Muhammad’s golden boot-winning 17.

His goals were instrumental in their strong league performance, and the fans will be relieved to see him stay but that is just a matter of time as his stakes on the market keep rising. There have been reports linking the star with a move away especially after opening his Uganda Cranes account with a scorcher against South Africa last week in Johannesburg. Omedi scored in each of their Confederation Cup legs against Al Ahli Benghazi last month.

Already, Kitara has lost Paul Mucureezi who scored six goals last season while Brian Aheebwa (five goals & four assists) is on his way out to Ethiopia. Nevertheless, coach Brian Ssenyondo has acquired the services of Fred Amaku from the Maroons.

While Omedi is the man in the news, Amaku has been a silent killer. The Prison Warder scored just three goals less than Omedi and has been a proven scorer with 47 league goals in the last four seasons.

“We still have Omedi for a year but I can say [Fred] Amaku is a good striker as well because every player we bring is a good addition to the team,” Ssenyondo said of his new signing. The coach’s headache is now to find a balance and working chemistry between the two strikers.

The arrival of Titus Ssematimba, a versatile midfielder from Wakiso Giants, also adds a layer of creativity and control to the squad. The youngster opened his account at the continent in Benghazi.

Retaining key players has also been a priority for Ssenyondo. The club successfully held onto their playmakers Livin Kabon and Jude Ssemugabi, captain Maxwell Owachgiu and last season’s league fans’ best goalkeeper Chrispus Kusiima.

Additions 

The additions of experienced legs of Ronald Otti, David Ndihabwe, Marvin Nyanzi and Ivan Sserubiri increase their depth and quality to compete on multiple fronts.

Ssenyondo will also be tasked to find the right defensive partnership with the arrival of Otti and full recovery of Benjamin Nyakoojo from injury. The defensive inefficiencies were largely to blame for the six goals that sent them packing in Caf.

However, as they prepare to launch their season away to Lugazi on Saturday, one thing is certain: The club is ready to make a statement in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League, proving they are a club on the rise, capable of taking their second season by storm and challenging the status quo.

Their recent fourth-place finish in the Fufa Super Eight only behind Bul and Vipers is testament to their capabilities. 

StarTimes Uganda Premier League 

Kitara first five fixtures

Saturday: Lugazi vs. Kitara 

September 19: Kitara vs. Maroons 

September 27: KCCA vs. Kitara 

October 3: Kitara vs. Police 

October 19: vs. Mbarara City vs. Kitara 

Players out: Luwalo Kipper, Clinton Kamugisha, Derrick Byabachwezi, Brian Ahebwa, Donato Okello, Lawrence Bukenya.

Players in: Titus Ssematimba, Douglas Oyirwoth, Marvin Nyanzi, Ivan Sserubiri, David Ndihabwe, Ronald Otti, Fred Amaku, Monday Denis.

Promoted from the junior team: John Byaruhanga, Collin Alinitwe.

Kitara at a glance

Full name: Kitara Football Club

Nickname(s): The Royals, Kabalega Royals

Ground: Royal Park, Butema

President: Deo Kasozi

Chief executive officer: Joshua Atugonza

Manager: Brian Ssenyondo