Brian Ssenyondo is a talented and young football coach currently managing Kitara Football Club. At a very young age, he has already made a significant impact in Ugandan football.
Ssenyondo guided Kitara to a historic victory last season by emerging as champions of the Stanbic Uganda Cup. Also, despite being league debutants, the team defied expectations, finishing fourth in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League.
Throughout his career, Ssenyondo has demonstrated resilience and ambition. He has mentored a number of players, and built cohesive team structures at clubs where he has coached, including Kitara.
He sat down with NBS Sport’s Oscar Diego Mujuni in an interview on July 8, to enlighten more about Kitara’s journey last season, their ambitions in the CAF Confederations Cup and coming season, among other things.
Qn: Who is Brian Ssenyondo?
My name is Brian Ssenyondo. I was born on 23rd August 1993, making me 30 years old, and I’m soon turning 31.
I studied my primary education at Hope School and my secondary education at Masaka Secondary School. I am a football coach, currently coaching Kitara FC. Previously, I have coached clubs like Synergy, which was my project and where most people first recognized me.
I have also coached Mbarara City, UPDF, the National U17 team, and a number of schools like Kimaanya, Masaka Secondary, and Lwanga Kasasa. In addition to coaching, I am a businessman, but my main focus is on football coaching. So, that’s Brian Ssenyondo in brief.
Qn: As the coach of Kitara Football Club, how did the 2023-24 season go for you?
Last season was good for us because Kitara was promoted to the Premier League after emerging as the champions of the FUFA Big League.
As league debutants, many people didn’t think we would perform as well as we did last season, but we played well and managed to win the Uganda Cup, which was my first trophy as a coach and the first top-tier trophy in Kitara’s history. This shows that there was good work done.
Moreover, we had a target to finish in the top five positions and we ended up fourth. That means we achieved our target and also came out with silverware. Therefore, it was a very good season for us.
Qn: You had a good run in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League, where you were top of the league for almost 90% of the time but lost the trophy to SC Villa. Any regrets?
We did not feel bad about not winning the Premier League trophy because we came with a target and achieved it. Our target was to finish in the top five positions and we achieved fourth place. So, however much we led the table for most of the time, that wasn’t our target.
Qn: As a young coach, how have you managed to smoothly work with experienced players like Paul Mucureezi, Frank Zaga, Kabon Living, and Denis Omedi to fulfill your targets?
I do not look at whether a player is more experienced or not, and I do not have to first tell them that I am the coach because they know that.
The most important thing is that we respect each other. I give them respect as adults and they respect me as a coach. I lead them, show them what to do, and prepare and shape them for the future. The mutual respect has helped us move forward.
Another thing is that I know how to handle different players in different ways. I think this has set me apart from other coaches. We are professionals and know what to do, so this has helped us to always come out as the best.
Qn: Last season, after playing Vipers SC in the league, witchcraft issues came up. Is it true that there is Juju in Ugandan football?
Firstly, like you’ve said, Vipers claimed we used juju, so if they come here, you can ask them to confirm it.
I will not say whether Juju is there or not, but what I know is that we even see some witch doctors advertise themselves on TV. But as far as that question is concerned, I don’t think witchcraft is the one that plays football. If that’s what they said, then that’s their own opinion.
Qn: You won the first big Trophy in your career, the Stanbic Uganda Cup, at a very young age. Inspire any young coach out there. How did you do it?
First of all, it’s a combination of many things. I am not the only one; I am only the face of the team. Winning silverware is a combination of efforts from many stakeholders, starting from the Club President to the CEO, management, players, and even the cooks. We all combined efforts, and that’s why we achieved success last season.
Qn: Paint for us a picture of Kitara’s management structure and how helpful are they?
At Kitara, we have a structure like any other club should. We have a president and his executive. The president is Mr. Kasozi Deo, and he has his executive composed of different people. Under them, we have a CEO, Mr. Atugonza Joshua, who heads all the operations in the club.
Then below him is me, the manager of the club and the coach. All our roles are well stipulated, and no one interferes with anyone’s work. However, we work hand in hand to achieve the club’s goals, because our common goal is to see Kitara on top.
When it comes to recruitment, I have the biggest say since I am the coach. I have 95% power to decide, but of course, the other 5% is with my bosses, in terms of finances. We are a very good panel that works together, which is why we haven’t faced any issues in recruiting.
What made us perform well is our structure first; we don’t pull ropes with each other. Everything moves as it is supposed to. Another thing is that we are like a family. We bond more than just a football club; the players, the technical team, and everyone around the team.
The supporters have also played a very big part; they have pushed us, and that’s why their numbers have surprised so many people. Even the president has set a good environment for us. The players have been well motivated, so they feel okay about training every day, and the club has been fulfilling what they promised in their contracts, which gives them the morale to train every day to achieve our targets.
Qn: Let’s talk about Denis Omedi’s impact last season. What made him tick, and where do you see him in the near future?
I think first of all, what made him shine is that he knows what he wants. Secondly, he is very God-fearing and respectful. He is also focused and knows what he wants as a football player. Lastly, he does a lot of extra training apart from the normal training we do as a team.
The zeal he has as a player has pushed him to where he is right now and enabled him to score 15 goals without a penalty. As his coach, I will always appreciate him because he never gives up.
Qn: Paul Mucureezi was one of Kitara’s best players last season, but he’s leaving. How prepared are you as a club to fill his shoes?
Mucureezi is a good player, but he has his ambitions, so we have to respect him with his ambitions because he is an adult with his own dreams. We pray for him to succeed in whatever he plans. Of course, we wouldn’t want to lose a player like him, but if he has to go, we let him go because that is his decision.
It’s also good that he has mentored a lot of other players in the club, and we believe that with the leadership and seniority he has passed on to other players, we shall see another Paul Mucureezi at the club very soon. We shall make sure we do better than what we did last season.
Qn: Which players are you looking to add to Kitara for the coming season?
So far (as of July 8, 2024), we’ve brought in Ronald Otti as a centre back and Ndihabwe David from Maroons.
Those are the only players we have added because if you look at our team, we haven’t lost many players. We only lost Paul (Mucureezi) in the midfield, whom we’ve replaced. We suffered with (Ibrahim) Magandaazi’s long-term injury, and we’ve replaced him with Ronald Otti. We believe that the team is still intact and good to go.
If we get one or two more additions, we shall communicate. But at the moment, those are the players we’ve added.
Qn: As Uganda Cup champions, your eyes are now on the CAF Confederations Cup. What are your targets?
As a club, we’re always ready. We’re resuming training on 10th July, and we are doing everything to ensure that we’re ready. That’s why we have made the signings in time and renewed some of the players’ contracts. So, we’re ready. It will be our first time playing at the continental level, but we shall go and represent the country very well, just like we’ve been doing in the league.
There is excitement throughout the whole of the Bunyoro Kitara region because we made history by qualifying for the continent. To the players and technical staff, the competition will give us exposure and create many opportunities. We shall seize the opportunity of playing in the CAF Confederations Cup to make sure that we win.
Qn: What are your targets for the coming season as Kitara Football Club?
Our target is to win the Premier League and defend the Uganda Cup. I don’t see anything that will stop us from winning. If we do what we are supposed to do next season, then nothing will stop us from winning.
Qn: What do you feel should be done in order for football in Uganda to move forward? What should the government, the regulatory body, or other football stakeholders in general do for the betterment of football in the country?
I think the biggest problem we have been facing is the lack of football infrastructure. We all know that the lack of infrastructure like stadiums is a problem faced by not only Kitara but also other clubs.
However, we have to appreciate that the country has recently shown us that one of their priorities is sports infrastructure development, and stadiums are now being built. So, it is exciting; the government is doing their role, together with FUFA. I thank FUFA and the federation president for pushing the government to put up the infrastructure that we need.
Qn: As a coach, where do you see yourself in the next 5-10 years? Do you plan to stay coaching Ugandan teams, or do you dream of coaching internationally?
In the next five years, what I first aspire for is to have life, and a good life that has everything. I don’t want to just be alive when I’m miserable. That’s the first target.
But as a coach, I’d like to be among the best coaches both locally and on the continent. I don’t really aspire to coach teams elsewhere. But if I can be the best here and coach the best clubs, that would be it for me.
