Jackson Mayanja is the latest Ugandan football coach to react to Vipers President Dr Lawrence Mulindwa who recently categorised most local coaches as unprofessionals.
Mulindwa made the comments during the unveiling of Vipers’ new head coach Nikola Kovazovic last week at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende.
“As a professional coach from Uganda I was concerned when I heard that Mulindwa was undermining the local coaches,” Mayanja told NBS Sport before adding.
“We all have our shortcomings including himself and I know that he is entitled to his opinion but surely his comments were uncalled for.”
“No one would be employing these people if they were unprofessional unless he is saying that even the clubs are unprofessional Vipers inclusive, himself as well because he is the boss there,” he added.
Mayanja now manages football at a foreign club Sunrise FC in Rwanda and one would wonder why he is concerned yet Mulindwa was referring to those managing clubs in Uganda.
“Uganda is my country and I have an attachment to almost all these coaches and they know who I am when it comes to professionalism.”
“It is what I preach to them whenever we meet and again home is the base it is where my journey begins.”
“I have worked with several clubs as a player and manager abroad and not that everything is swift but should I term them or myself being unprofessional? No!”
“I know I am not locally based right now but even if I was, I do not think Mulindwa would call me unprofessional because I have been nurtured in a professional setting,” Mayanja noted.
The KCCA and Uganda Cranes legend worked for Simba SC, one of the most successful clubs in Africa under Dylan Kerr winning the Tanzanian FA Cup before exiting in 2017.
Besides Simba, he also had stints at Kagera Sugar and Coastal Union in Tanzania.
Mia Mia as he is commonly known was also the Uganda Cranes assistant coach for over six years and managed the Uganda Hippos at the U20 Africa Cup of Nations in 2023 before they were eliminated 1-0 by Nigeria in the quarterfinals.
He has also coached a pool of local clubs including KCCA, Vipers, URA, and Kyetume.
His first tenure in Rwanda was with Kiyovu in 2005 before working as an assistant to Mike Mutebi at AS Kigali in 2022.
They were relieved of their duties just after three months but it is believed that Kigali wanted Mayanja to stay and take over as full head coach an offer he rejected in respect to Mutebi.
During his professional playing career, he played for Egyptian side Al Masry, Tunisian outfit Esperance, and Lowi in Oman.
