KCCA, Vipers keep doing same things but expect different results

KCCA’s false start to the 2026/27 StarTimes Uganda Premier League season has raised eyebrows and so has Vipers’ early exit from the Caf Champions League.

The Kasasiro are winless in three matches, one draw and two defeats and find themselves in an unfamiliar territory on the table, 16^th out of 18 teams.

Since their last league triumph in 2019 under Mike Mutebi, KCCA have hired and fired several coaches but the trophy drought remains – save for the FUFA Super 8 cup won off season under Brian Ssenyondo.

Morley Byekwaso, Sergio Traguil, Jackson Magera (interim) and Abdallah Mubiru have all been fired while current coach Brian Ssenyondo is living on borrowed time.

Looking back, maybe Traguil is the only one that deserved the axe for he registered the poorest start but the rest, maybe the decision to let them go was just emotional – including the sacking of Mutebi, the greatest in the club history without doubt.

Truth be told, when the club resorted to selling off their best players around 2018, it was always going to have an effect on the team performance especially in terms of winning the title.

From Joseph Ochaya, to Timothy Awany, Charles Lukwago, Allan Okello, Mustafa Kizza, Allan Kyambadde, Isaac Muleme, Muhammad Shaban and most recently Ivan Ahimbisibwe, KCCA have lost arguably their most important player at the end of every season.

Now add the free transfers of Okello, Usama Arafat and Joel Sserunjogi to their fiercest competitors and that leaves a big question than just changing coaches.

During the most successful era of Mike Mutebi, KCCA were the attraction of the crème de la crème from rivals and that saw the arrival of Ibrahim Saddam Juma, Simon Sserunkuma, John Revita and Vincent Kayiizi from Express, then Nicholas Kasozi, Isaac Kirabira, Isaac Muleme, Allan Kyambadde from Villa in addition to what was already good quality players at Lugogo. Things have since changed.

As coaches tried to rebuild teams around the players the club can afford, they are relieved of their duties and the cycle continues.

Take an example, Byekwaso and Mubiru were in line to win at least the league or the Uganda Cup but were sacked for inconsequential results in other competitions where chances of triumph were limited.

Ssenyondo won the Fufa Super 8 and that should be a foundation to build on but there are already murmurs in the corridors that he could go as well and that will imply rebuilding with another coach who will also ask time to implement his style.

My advice is simple, keep Ssenyondo for the entirety of the campaign and watch him fail so he goes, or deliver and he earns another contract because the hiring and sacking has not yielded the desired fruits.

Then Vipers, eight times they have won the league, only once have they progressed to the CAF Champions League group stages despite the heavy investment by club president Dr. Lawrence Mulindwa.

It is embarrassing and disappointing that for two successive seasons, the first preliminary round has proved a big hurdle for the champions to go past.

Consequences? A coach leaving after every end of the season, if he is lucky like Jacky Ivan Minnaert anyway.

The Belgian’s game was never exciting but he won the league ‘unbeaten’ before his one-year contract was not renewed.

Then came the highly rated Denis Lavagne, a former Caf Champions League finalist with Coton Sport Garua and one that led Constantine to the group stages a few seasons ago. Result? First preliminary round exit at the expense of Mauritania’s Nouadhibou.

With reports that the ex-Cameroon national team coach signed a one-year contract, it remains unclear whether he will keep his job at least until the end of the season or be let go now given he also started the league on a losing note to lowly ranked Entebbe UPPC.

Truth be told, coaches signing a one-year contract will never give them ample time to think for the team beyond just trying to get results.

The Venoms have invested in coaching and playing staff overtime but maybe something needs to change.

Is the scouting team doing the right job? Are they signing the right players? Are the hired coaches the right ones? Is the administration doing enough besides investing?

A few pertinent questions that need answers but otherwise, neither KCCA nor Vipers should expect different results from doing same things season after season.

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