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THE JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW: Who did the better business?

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SINAN RAJUB SENOGA

With the top of the table competition getting more intense, relegation battling is also becoming more rife with 16 time record champions SC Villa being the most high profile culprit involved.

No wonder they were the most active team in the market after unveiling a whooping 13 new signings. 22 players have been signed by only Villa and Nyamityobora, but it remains to be answered whether they will all attain licences.

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Defending champions Vipers SC made the more shrewd and iconic signings with the capture of proven goal scorer Hamis Diego Kiiza and Innocent Wafula.

Swift Sports analyst Sinan Rajub Senoga has made a comprehensive review of how every club went through their business.

1. KCCA FC
Mike Mutebi and his technical team are among the few who didn’t embrace the mid-season transfer window with at least a single new player.

2. VIPERS SC
The Kitende outfit shipped in former Gor Mahia’s right winger Innocent Wafula before capturing experienced striker Hamis Diego Kiiza on a 6-month contract. Kiiza had been a free agent since partying ways with Ethiopian side Fesil Kenema last year and he is expected to lift the goal scoring burden off the shoulders of Daniel Muzeyi Serunkuma.

3. MBARARA CITY
Mbarara City under the tutelage of Charles Livingstone Mbabazi shrewdly stormed the market and managed to tie down hard tackling midfielder Ivan Mboowa from the Nyamityobora fringes, Under 20 forward Raymond Derrick Onyai from Kataka FC and youthful defender Ronald Otti Ociti from Nangabo Green Valley.

The Ankole Lions also captured former KCCA, Express and Proline utility defender Ronnie Kisekka to replace their departed club captain Asuman Alishe.

4. BUL FC
BUL FC made three signings in the January transfer window who include former URA skipper Jimmy Kulaba who had a short stint in Kenya at Tusker FC.

Left footed winger Ezekiel Katende and former Cubs player Charles Sebutinde were also captured by the team coached by Peter Onen from UPDF FC and Nyamityobora respectively.

5. URA FC
The tax collectors managed to sign Paidha Black Angels captain Cromwell Abang Rwothomio in a transfer worth 14 millions before capturing youthful striker Dickens Victor Kilama on a one-year deal from Ndejje University.

6. ONDUPARAKA FC
Just like KCCA FC, Onduparaka FC didn’t make any new signing as we head into the second and final half of the season.

7. TOORO UNITED
Wasswa Bbosa’s coached men had no signing to write home about. The Buhinga grounds kings will have to rely on their current squad to earn a respectable finish in May.

8. BRIGHT STARS
Jamil Kalisa is the only new face in the Bright Stars’ squad despite the team’s patchy performances at the end of the first round of the season.

9. EXPRESS FC
The first round inadequacies brought to light how urgent Kefa Kisala needed to bolster his thin squad with a couple of new players. The Red Eagles made five signings who included Cranes and former KCCA striker Brian Umony and high rated youngster Frank Zaga Tumwesigye on loan from Vipers until the end of the season.

Ivan Ocholit from Wembley, former Buddo SS student Goffin Oyirwoth Geoffrey and defender Sadiq Ssekyembe acquired from Katwe United were other players unveiled at Express FC.

10. POLICE FC
Amidst their defensive concerns, the Cops failed to complete the signing of left back Aggrey Madoi whose employment contract at Vipers SC came to an end in January.

Abdallah Mubiru however managed to capture gigantic center back Ivan Bukenya and former Express defender Edgar Bwogi.

11. KIRINYA JINJA SSS
Besides naming Abbey Bogere Kikomeko as their interim coach, Kirinya Jinja SSS managed to sign goalkeeper Sanoni Mulabi to fill the void left by Didi Muhammad who moved to Kenya.

The Jinja outfit also got hold of industrious winger Yoweri Wakibi commonly known as “Banda” who is also a sibling to the club’s creative midfielder David Bagoole.

12. MAROONS FC
Maroons FC made two signings in the concluded transfer window – both of which came from FUFA Big League sides. Isaac Otto who was an integral figure in Kiboga Young’s exciting first half of the season and 2015 Masaza Cup top scorer Bronson Nsubuga Serumira from Amuka Bright Stars.

Belmos Opio also made a return to the Prison Warders after his brief stint at Water FC in the second tier.

13. SC VILLA
Sports Club Villa made a whooping 13 new signings as they brace themselves for the battle to extend their proximity from the relegation woes.



The 13 include four players who are on a return to the record champions that is, Asuman Alishe (Mbarara City), John Adriko (Kitara FC), Sulaiman Majanjalo (UPDF FC) and midfielder Emma Kalyowa who had last featured for Soana FC now (Tooro United).

The others are goalkeeper Said Keni (Proline FC), South Sudan’s Peter Dusman, Ramathan Yakubu (Lusaka Dynamos), James Mukasa (Entebbe FC), Racmac Ashaba (Kyambogo University), Benson Muhindo (Green Valley), Ronald Magwali (Kabalagala Rangers), Brian Amwine (Makerere University) and Hamdan Nsubuga.



14. NYAMITYOBORA FC
Nyamityobora under Asaph Mwebaze were another busy team in the January window signing up to 9 new players.

New recruits at the Mbarara club are Under 20 goalkeeper Denis Otim (Mbarara FC), former Buddo SS student Saddam Masereka, Damien Nakalema (Water FC), Fred Mayindi Junior (Riverside Forest Park), John Serunjogi (Kikyusa Cream), Peter Mutebi (Rushere FC), Joel Ayoku (Dove All Stars), Edgar Mujuni (Agape Lions) and James Tongi (Bweyogerere FC).

Surprisingly, the little known players already fired Mwebaze’s side to a 4-1 victory over Police which further predicts an intriguing final round of the season.

15. NDEJJE UNIVERSITY
Ndejje University’s coach Raymond Timothy Komakech embraced the window and managed to capture four new players following his side’s unpleasant first round performances.

Former SC Villa, Maroons and Express striker Isaac Kisujju Onyango, towering defender Joseph Othieno are among the four signed to solve the club’s problems offensively and defensively respectively.

The others are left back Hamim Semakula who fills the void left by the departed Isaa Mubiru and Ricardson Agaba.

16. PAIDHA BLACK ANGELS
Dickens Okwir Diara headlines the new 10 recruits at the Zombo club. Okwir was acquired on loan from Vipers SC until the end of the season.

Goalkeeper Pius Dibala, defenders Stephen Mwaka and Pascal Irasa, winger Stephen Matega and forwards Jerome Okotcha, James Mwambedde, Hassan Fatib and Mattias Okwalinga are the other signings while youngster James Jarieko was promoted to the senior team.

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