By Stephen Akabway Jr
The football fraternity and lovers are mourning the passing of Obadiah Ssemakula who during his playing days was a delight to watch.
Ssemakula spent most of his active playing time at the defunct Coffee FC where he proved himself as an absolutely devoted soccer wizard.
The deceased during his days also turned out for the Ugandan Cranes where he mesmerized fans on top netting useful goals for his motherland.
Ssemakula’s biggest weapon during his playing time was his ability to take on opponent players whom he would dribble past with amazing masterly, ease and reckless abandon.
As he left in his wake dazed players embarrassed by wit, Ssemakula would delightedly enjoy his laughter that God had abundantly gifted him with.
His big brain compensated for his small body build and he would make a fool of whoever opponent would dare exploit that disadvantage to try and undermine him.
Ssemakula regarded himself as the only perfect and suitable Uganda’s No.7 football player God created for his motherland.
For that matter even when Sam Ssimbwa played delightedly and scored great goals for KCC FC, Mbale Heroes where he was both a coach and team player, Express FC and Uganda Cranes, Ssemakula never believed for a single second that Sophia Nantongo’s husband was a much better player than him.
Such was the contempt with which Ssemakula treated Ssimbwa that he continued asserting long after he had beaten him to that number that he was still ” Musanvu w’eggwanga”.
For the fact that football players in the past never cared to invest their money to use during their retirement, Ssemakula has died a pauper and, sadly, for a player who played a lot of great football for Ugandans and their motherland.
Ssemakula’s sunset bad life should serve as a wake-up for government to intervene and ensure that great sportsmen and women do not wind up absolute paupers. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
