Express legend Ssemwogerere comes out of retirement to save sinking club

Express Football Club finally parted ways with their head coach Kefa Kisaala and named club legend George Ssemwogerere as his replacement.

Kisaala joined the Wankulukuku-based side at the start of the season and promised to bring a change at the club as he embarked on a rigorous and massive rebuilding project which was meant to return the club to its former glory.

His target was to finish in the top four by the end of the 2018/2019 season but Kefa promised that they will go as far as fighting KCCA and Vipers for the title.

“As a team we shall aim at the moon. I played for this club so I know what it means to be here. Our chairman didn’t ask us to win a trophy but being Express we have no option but to go out and be competitive,” said Kisaala during his unveiling.

Fast forward, six months into the job and the Express legend has been shown the exit by club chairperson Kiryowa Kiwanuka. The former BUL FC tactician has enjoyed a hard love relationship with the club fans as they often cheered his side when the results were right but faced heavy criticism when they failed to deliver.

“For the time I have been at the club as a coach, some fans are a problem to the club. It’s crucial to have the fans behind us but they should focus their support in a good way. It is like these fans just come to abuse the players and the coaching staff,” Kisaala bemoaned in October last year – a month into his job.

Rumours were rife that the Red Eagles had parted ways with Kisaala just hours after their 2-0 home loss to Police FC but Kiwanuka was quick to refute them, maintaining that Kisaala was the man to take the club forward.

According to a statement released by the club Tuesday evening, Express announced that Kisala, his entire coaching staff and team doctor had left the club with immediate effect. And that the club would like to thank them for their work during their time at Express and wish them well in the future.

Express have lost three of their last six games and won only two of the last 11 league games. Overall they have won just five, lost seven and drew five of their 17 league games under Kisaala and were also knocked out of the Uganda cup at the round of 32 stage by Tooro United.

Ssemwogerere, who returns to the club and will be assisted by former Police FC goalkeeping coach James Magala with club legend Hassan Mubiru also coming back as trainer.

Ssemwogerere has been out of active football coaching but was part of the former players who attacked FUFA offices in 2017. The former defender was Express head coach in 2006 and also had coaching stints at Kiira Young, Tanzania’s Mutibwa Sugar FC, Somalia national team, Rwandese side Musanze FC and the Uganda national U23 side.