Kawempe Muslim Ladies FC goalkeeper Josephine Nambuya has today made history after winning the first ever Finance Trust Bank FUFA Women Super League Player of The Month award. Kawempe also took home the first ever Coach of The Month award as Ayub Khalifa Kiyingi was rewarded for masterminding a still ongoing unbeaten start to the season.
Nambuya,who kept four clean sheets,beat out stiff competition from team mate Agnes Nabukenya,who currently leads the goalscoring charts with four strikes,after netting a hattrick against Rines SS in the opening fixture.Uganda Martyrs Lubaga’s Angel Auki Kigongo,who scored once and collected two Woman Of The Match awards for diligent displays against Tooro Queens and Kampala Queens,was the third nominee for this award.
Former Uganda Crested Cranes head coach Kiyingi guided reigning champions Kawempe to an unblemished start to their title defence,as they not only won their first four games,but they did it without conceeding a single goal.Kawempe opened the campaign with a comprehensive 3-0 defeat of Rines SS WFC,before also dispatching Wakiso Hills WFC with the same scoreline.
Kawempe continued their winning streak with a pair of 1-0 wins over,first,She Maroons,and then,Makerere University.Kawempe did drop their first points of the season last Sunday,needing a late Amiya Jazira own goal to salvage a 1-1 draw with high flying Amus College Women FC.But that result was in November,putting it out of consideration for the October awards.
Kawempe’s perfect record gave Kiyingi the edge over Amus head coach Faridah Bulega,who has led her newly promoted side to third place after two wins,including a 4-0 demolition of Wakiso Hill Women FC,one draw and one loss in their inaugural top flight season,as well as Lady Doves FC tactician Meddy Nyanzi,whose still unbeaten side sit fourth on the log after two victories and two draws.
Kiyingi,in his acceptance speech,thanked God for the gift of life,as well as FUFA and Finance Trust Bank for signing the partnership that has made these accolades possible.He also expressed appreciation to his players,saying “And in a special way I want to thank my players.I wouldn’t be here if my players were not doing the right thing.I want to thank them for the effort…the tireless effort they are putting in”,before also thanking club chairperson Hajjat Zulaika Kibirige for fully financing the team.
He also remarked that the awards would add motivation for both players and coaches,saying “I’ve been working hard with actually nothing…when someone brings something now…I think that is already a bonus.To the players and you coaches,this is a very positive gesture…very good motivation[sic]”
Nambuya and Kiyingi each took home a plaque,in addition to a cash prize of five hundred thousand shillings.
These awards are the first of their kind for women’s football in Uganda,following the signature of a partnership deal between Finance Trust Bank and FUFA in August this year.The deal,which will see Finance Trust Bank invest up to two billion shillings,is the first significant injection of private funding in the league’s short history.Among its stipulations is the awarding of monthly accolades to the best performing individuals,both coaching and playing staff.
