Journey of faith!

By Joseph Batte KCC FC will find themselves fighting on two fronts. The first one will, inevitably, be on the pitch. The other will be another bruising battle of wills with the club's strong-willed fans. Throughout the course of KCC's three trophy-less years, as many as seven coaches have been hired and fired, while others were wise enough to jump before they were pushed. A lot of the trouble has been at the instigation of the fans. From the time that Tom Lwanga won the championship in 1997, KCC has had a legion of coaches from all corners of the globe, from the Dane Flemming Jacobsen to Tanzanian Sulaiman Gwajje. Enter David Otti, Uganda's most experienced coach. What is it that makes this doyen think he will succeed where countless others have failed? The first thing Otti did when he took over the reigns was to ask for no interference from officials and fans. The veteran coach also wanted to know why KCC had such a tight grip on the championship for three-quarters of the season and yet surprisingly melted like wax and allowed Villa to run away with it. "Indiscipline," he was told. He then got down to work. He has been drumming home the need for discipline if the team is to reap fruits this season and those to come. Using some tactical nous and shrewdness, Otti seems to have radically moulded KCC into a cohesive unit overnight. The team certainly looks a different set- up from the tear-jerking side that was so prone to lapses in concentration at the most crucial of moments. Otti couldn't have wished for a better start to the season. He won the VEK, Iddi, Millennium, Sanitation and Inter-Cities Cups and by so doing, staked a claim for greater recognition this season. Suddenly fans are talking about a new era at Lugogo. Even some eternal skeptics, happy with pre-season form, have been muttering under their breaths: "At least we have a good teacher this time." So, what honours should KCC fans realistically hope for this season? A top five position? Second, or the championship? Perhaps wary of the ominous task ahead and not willing to put expectations too high, Otti's answer is: "Neither." "All I want is KCC to play good football like it used to. The Cups will come later." But Tom Lwanga, vice-chairman technical, says KCC should be counted as strong championship contenders. "Nothing can stop us from winning the league because we have a strong team. "With the guidance of David Otti we will certainly win the league. "But first we are telling players to be disciplined, committed and have that spirit to die a little for their club, even if there is no money to pay them." Clearly, Lwanga is living in the past. Playing for the fun of it without wages might have been the way things were done when Lwanga was such a vital defensive cog for KCC, but things have changed and he, of all people, should know that. If KCC are going to win anything this season, the executive is going to have to put money where their mouth is. Any other way and they can expect as much success as you would get from milking a stone. Lwanga is proud to note that not only Otti has restored the one thing that was missing at KCC - team work and discipline. He says the coach has a whole selection of talented young players who will take some small fine-tuning to convert into champions. But patience is one commodity that is not in abundance at Lugogo. KCC's bid is likely to be built around goalkeeper Ibrahim Mugisha and two international midfielders Meddie Nsubuga and Noah Kasule 'Babadi'. Mugisha moved with Otti from Military and swears by the veteran coach, but he also has an incredible desire to stay at the top. Nsubuga and Kasule are absolute teetotalers who have stayed clear of all the excesses that footballers love to indulge in. Morley Byekwaso is probably the most creative force but he has brushed shoulders with spoilt chaps at Lugogo too long to remain a straight character. Whatever the case, KCC have got to understand that a team can only be as good as its administrators. That's where they fall short. Ends