Brian Ssenyondo’s post-match outburst after KCCA FC’s 2–0 loss to Police FC on Tuesday may have sounded like tough leadership, but on closer inspection it felt more like deflection than accountability.
Yes, KCCA were second best at the Kira Road Arena. Yes, Police FC won the duels, the second balls and the key moments.
But to reduce the defeat to players “coming to play around” ignores a far more uncomfortable truth: this was a pragmatic, predictable performance shaped largely by the coach’s own decisions. If players lack fight, rhythm or structure, the first place to look is the touchline.
Pragmatism Starts With the Coach
Police FC did not outplay KCCA with flair; they outthought them. They were compact, direct and efficient, exploiting KCCA’s weaknesses with simple football. That is not a coincidence. It is what happens when one team is tactically clearer and better balanced than the other.
KCCA looked blunt, slow and easy to read. That is not complacency, it is a system that did not stretch the opponent or put them under sustained pressure. Tactical rigidity, not player arrogance, was the defining feature of the night.
Selection Headaches of Ssenyondo’s Own Making
If commitment is the issue, how does one explain the continued neglect of specialist personnel?
Gavin Kizito, a natural right back, has barely played football for the majority of the season. Instead, Ssenyondo and his co-coach Jackson Magera, have consistently opted for the makeshift Filbert Obenchan.
That decision affects balance, buildup play and defensive chemistry, all elements that fall squarely under coaching responsibility.
You cannot repeatedly overlook a specialist and then act surprised when cohesion is missing.
The Striker Question Raises Eyebrows
Even more puzzling was the handling of KCCA’s attack: Ivan Ahimbisibwe, the club’s top scorer with five goals, was left on the bench until late in the game, at a time when KCCA were already chasing shadows.
Instead, Derrick Nsibambi was trusted to lead the line, despite not having scored since October 1st, 2024, a staggering 462 days ago.
That is not about “who starts on the day.” That is about form, confidence and evidence. Selecting an out-of-form striker while your most reliable goal threat watches from the sidelines is a coaching gamble, and it failed.
Leadership Is Sharing the Load
Publicly dressing down players may score points with fans in the short term, but real leadership demands shared responsibility. Ssenyondo rightly points out that leagues are not won in five games, but they are certainly lost through stubborn selection, questionable in-game management and tactical misjudgment.
KCCA’s players did not select the starting XI.
They did not decide who stayed on the bench. They did not set the game plan.
If the performance was “substandard,” then the blame cannot stop at the boots. It must extend to the clipboard.
Ssenyondo still has KCCA in a title race, just one point off the top with a game in hand for Vipers SC. That alone suggests the squad has quality. What it now needs is a coach willing not only to demand more from his players, but also to look in the mirror and demand more from himself.
