Mubiru is the man for KCCA FC

Abdullah Mubiru could not contain his excitement. As his players sprinted towards their hero, the exhilaration drove him to the opposite direction. Madness can do that to you. 

But who can fault KCCA? After what they had just witnessed, winning a point when they almost certainly lost three, KCCA were  right to lose it. It was arguably the moment of the season. Out of a desperate pass towards Viper’s box, with KCCA’s fate seemingly sealed, Ashraf Mugume unveiled a finish to remember. 

Ball chested out of the air and simultaneously redirected on target, then with body falling, sliced to the top left corner. It was a moment of genius from Mugume and a great advert for the Uganda Premier League (UPL).

But the significance of Mugume’s strike could go far beyond the merits of its style and its incredible timing in the context of what was a highly competitive match at St. Mary's Stadium Kitende.

That goal could go a long way in deciding who wins the title. 

Two points separate leaders KCCA and Vipers atop the UPL standings but a league is decided by a long chain of events, some of which are more significant than others.

Going to Kitende and picking a point out of the jaws of defeat, in the manner that they did it, is one of those events that could have a seismic influence on the race.

In the context of the game, it felt like two points dropped by Vipers and a point gained by Mubiru’s KCCA. The psychological boost was all KCCA’s.

Vipers would have opened up a two-point leadnon KCCA if they had held on for the win and it's not hard to imagine a certain tycoon kicking around the office furniture in frustration.

Mubiru once worked for him and was fired because he would not allow his line up to be chosen for him. Mubiru would have had extra delight for leaving his former post unbeaten. It wasn't just a point taken but a point made. Football beef never dies, and these things matter. 

But an even bigger point from the game is that Mubiru's revolution continues to deliver for the Cityzens.

Mubiru is a football purist and Ugandan football cannot have enough of them. KCCA almost appointed Alex Isabirye - a winner, true, but someone who does not fit in the ethos of the club.

Mubiru believes football has to be ambitious, creative, and entertaining. He is the closest to Mike Mutebi in the UPL.

But without winning, purists are dismissed as theorists who are out of touch with the hard realities of Ugandan football.

Mubiru is proving you can both entertain and win. And the dramatic draw at St. Mary's Kitende, which made KCCA arguably the favourites to win the title, proved it. Vipers will push Mubiru and KCCA all the way, but fortune, as they say, should favour the brave. 

And you can count on Mubiru to always go for the jugular. That's what purists do.