Nagadya reborn
What you need to know:
- Nagadya guided She Corporate to their first ever Fufa Women Super League (FWSL) title. They clinched it after a goalless draw with Kampala Queens.
It has been a tough road back for She Corporates captain Naome Nagadya. She was out of the game for three years due to a knee injury. Her return was memorable.
Nagadya guided She Corporate to their first ever Fufa Women Super League (FWSL) title. They clinched it after a goalless draw with Kampala Queens.
The pair were tied on points but She Corporate bettered the goal difference.
Dreaming big
Nagadya has now set her eyes on gaining a spot in the national team, Crested Cranes, ahead of the June 1-11 Cecafa Women’s Championship at the Fufa Technical Centre, Njeru.
She last featured for Crested Cranes in the 2016 edition of this tournament in Njeru. That’s when her knee popped. “That year is still deeply etched in memory,” Nagadya recalls. That period was punctuated by pain.
“It was a recurring injury that destabilized my fitness on pitch whenever I would force myself to play. At one time. I was forced to call it a time on my career,” Nagadya says.
Even though she had given up on the thrill of competitiveness, Nagadya did not give up on her fight to regain fitness and embarked on training behind closed doors. She missed the game.
Once fit, her team welcomed her back like a prodigal daughter.
Such was the confidence and trust in her that coach Hassan Issa Yusufu immediately gave her the captaincy. Many opposed.
Taking responsibility
“I did not hesitate to name her my captain because when I looked at the team, no one matched her experience despite the injuries and opposition from other stakeholders in the club. I had to stand by my decision,” the coach says. The role made her believe in herself.
Crested Cranes coach George Lutalo has taken notice. Nadadya is part of the side.
“I am glad that they called me back on the team. The next task is to get in there and I have a belief that I can still make it to the top,” she vows.
Her competition for a place in midfield comes in the shape of the foreign-based duo of Joan Nabirye (Kenya) and Sheebah Zalwango (DR. Congo).
Crested Cranes was drawn in Group A alongside Rwanda, Burundi and Djibouti in the upcoming tournament.
AT A GLANCE
Full Name: Naome Nagadya
Age: 26
Club: She Corporate since 2014
League titles: FWSL 2022
National Team: Crested Cranes
Major tournaments
Cecafa Women Championship 2016
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