KAMPALA – Muhammad Ssebugwawo Jr, has resigned from his role as head coach of FUFA Regional side, Sporting Club (SC) Lamansia.
The gaffer who has been in charge of the club since 2017, helping them to promotion to the third tier (Regional League) the following year, has decided to lay down his tools as the Kampala based side is embroiled in a financial crisis.
Lamansia has in the past been feasting off money from former ‘Boda Boda 2010’ boss, Abdallah Kitata’s who is incarcerated at the moment, battling several serious crimes.
Kitata is understood to have been the sole financier of the club since its inception in 2013 but ever since he was arrested last year, Lamancia has been struggling and are now on the blink of extinction.
“I am resigning due to the bad situation that the team is facing at the moment, Said Ssebugwawo in an exclusive interview with PML Daily.
“We have been facing a lot of challenges ever since Kitata (Abdallah) was arrested.
“Some had proposed at the start of the season that the team should be sold off but as a coach, i was strongly against the idea, thinking that things would get better.
“At the moment, it the situation is only worsening as we cannot execute anything properly say transportation to and from matches, paying rent for our training ground and i myself, i am not in the best of situation financially.
“After proper assessment of the situation, i have decided to resign. But despite all that, i would like to thank everyone at Lamansia for the support they have given me and pray the situation changes in the near future.
Lamansia finished second in the Regional League last season, their first in the third tier. The then Kitata bank-rolled side were only denied a playoff spot by Allan Ssewanyana’s Katwe United who finished only a point above them in the standings.
After Kitata’s arrest, the club voted an interim committee led by Jimmy Mugerwa and CEO, Richard Kibigwam to help in the day to day running of activities after the board had decided not to sell the club.
The sale of Brian Kayanja to StarTimes Uganda Premier League side, Bright Stars helped get money to kick-start the season but it now looks like there is no more financial budget to help move the team forward.
Ssebugwawo’s departure comes as the club has played five games in the second round, in which they have not tasted victory, drawing two and losing the other three.
They are currently 9th on the FUFA-Kampala Regional League standings and a playoff spot looks very much an unattainable dream.
For the former URA FC player, he is set to join one of the County teams that will be featuring in the Airtel Masaza Cup 2019.
His coaching career has seen him coach Jogoo Young, Baza Holdings, Mengo United before joining Lamansia. The former defender did not have a glamorous football career either as he featured for only URA FC in the top tier before joining Rwandese side Kiyovu. He finished his career at the now defacunt Mityana UTODA.
