FUFA Awards: Mutebi Up To Defend Annual Accolade

KCCA FC head coach Mike Mutebi is up to defend the Coach of the year (Men’s Football Competitions) award after being nominated for the accolade.

On Monday, more nominations in other categories have been revealed to add to the three categories (Airtel FUFA Male and Female nominees) and Team Fans of the year that were released during the launch last month at Serena Hotel.

Mutebi who has won the accolade for the last three years, helped KCCA FC to lift the  StarTimes Uganda Premier League, CECAFA Kagame Cup in Rwanda and the FUFA Super Cup.

Apart from Mutebi, the other nominees are Police FC’s Abdallah Mubiru and former Proline FC head coach Shafik Bisaso.

Mubiru guided Uganda Cranes to qualify for the 2020 Championship of African Nations (CHAN) while Bisaso helped Proline FC to win the StarTimes FUFA Big League and the Stanbic Uganda Cup. He also helped his team beat Malawian side Masters Security on their maiden continual bow.

Women football coach of the year

For the first time, the coaches in Women’s football will have their own category and the nominees include Ayub Khalifa, Oliver Mbekeka, and Fred Ndaula.

Ayub helped Kawempe Muslim Ladies to reach the FUFA Women Elite League playoffs and was also in charge of the Uganda U17 Girls’ national team that won the maiden COSAFA U17 Championship. He also won several other trophies in FUFA sanctioned tournaments with his school.

Mbekeka led Lady Doves to two finals (FUFA Women Elite League and FUFA Women’s Cup) while Ndaula helped Makerere University to clinch the FUFA Women’s Cup, their first major title in history.

FUFA Member Association Award

Another category introduces this year is the Airtel FUFA Member Associations’ award that is aimed at rewarding excelling FUFA Members. In total, FUFA is composed of 34 members following the admission of the Futsal Association of Uganda.

The nominees include; KCCA FC, Buganda Region Football Association (BRFA) and Uganda Beach Soccer Association (UBSA).

Beach Soccer Player of the year

In beach soccer, St. Lawrence duo of Ronald Mutebi and Suleiman Ochero will contend for the gong alongside Herbert Luboyera of Mutoola Beach Soccer Club.

Mutebi was named the best goalkeeper in the 2018/19 league while Ochero finished as the top scorer with 29 goals in 19 games and was named the Most Valuable Player.

Upcoming Talent of the year (FUFA Juniors League)

In the Airtel FUFA Upcoming talent category, Sadat Anaku who won the accolade last year is nominated alongside Garvin Kizito Mugweri and Davis Sekajja.

Public voting will contribute 25% and will get underway after the release of the top 5 for Male and Female Player of the Year. The Coaches will contribute 50%, Captains 25%, and Fans 25% during the voting.

This is the fifth successive year that the Airtel FUFA Awards are organized running them ‘Celebrating Uganda’s finest footballers’. This year’s awards function will be held on 14th December at Speke Resort, Munyonyo.