Uganda's goal scorer Kabugo was inspired by Sekagya

Uganda Cranes defender Savio Kabugo is a man destined for big things in his burgeoning career but it has not been all plain sailing for the 19-year-old player.

In an interview with New Vision’s Pius Arinawe, Kabugo said that having to deal with the heartbreak of losing both his parents at a tender age did not derail his dream of playing professional football.

He is out to captain his country one day just like his idol Ibrahim Sekagya.

Kabugo, who scored the winner in Cranes’ 1-0 victory over Ghana in a Nations Cup qualifier at Namboole talked about his meteoric rise to the top of the game and his plans for the future.

Question: Is it fair to say that the past two years have been the best of your life so far?

Answer: Absolutely. I am very happy with what I have been able to achieve in such a short period of time.
I won the Uganda Cup with Sports Club Victoria and also received a call up to the national side.

Qn: How did you feel when you got the news of your first national call up?

Ans: I was so excited because it was a dream come true. As a kid growing up and playing football, being chosen to represent your country is the best honour of them all and it is something I had dreamt of. But I am not able to share a dressing room with the great Sekagya because he has retired. This is a bit of a regret.

Qn: Right now, the man who would make that call is Micho the coach? How has life under him been for you?

Ans: I enjoy every moment working with him a lot because he is very open and honest with the players and he tries to improve every aspect of a player and I’ve improved a lot under him.

Qn: Do you feel any added pressure when playing for Uganda? Especially at a ground like Namboole.

Ans: None. No pressure at all. Football is played by normal human beings who have two legs like I do so I approach every match and treat every player with no fear.

Qn: Clearly you admire Sekagya a lot and he trained with you and the rest of the team before Cranes faced Angola. What did he say to you?

Ans: I was pleasantly surprised when he told me he had heard plenty of good things about me and said I have a bright future in the game.
He also told me to keep up the hard work and take any criticism on the chin and keep learning. I want to enjoy an outstanding career like the one he has had so his advice was invaluable.

Qn: Do you see yourself occupying Sekagya’s position on the senior team soon and making it your own at a later stages?

Ans: Watching Sekagya play influenced my decision to quit playing upfront and switch to defence so yes, I hope to become a first choice center back for the Cranes. It would be a dream come true for me. I just might even ditch my hairstyle and go bald like him to cap it off.

Qn: Do you have any preferred destination for professional football in Europe?

Ans: My goal is to play in Europe. Where that may be, I don’t know but I am open to anything so I can’t say I prefer one over the other.