Can SC Villa rekindle the Cecafa winning spirit?

This is by far a very different SC Villa team from the ones that got the current club president, Omar Mandela walking with a swag in boastful manner eons of years ago.

From the one led by Paul Hasule (RIP) in 1987, that brought the club its first Cecafa club title; the Edgar  Watson one of 2003, that saw its 33-year-old coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevich receive a head-butt instead of a handshake from then Simba SC coach James Siang’a upon the final whistle of a 1-0 win over their Tanzanian opponents; and then the unlikely one led by Andy Mwesigwa in 2005, that did not concede a goal throughout the tournament, courtesy of an emerging Denis Onyango in goal down in Mwanza, Tanzania.

Sam Timbe was the coach then. It is 19 years since Villa felt like the ordained Kings of football in East Africa. And as they have returned this year, to the country of their last triumph, under another Serbian coach, Dusan Stojanovic, they will need some real orientation.

The 2023/24 season champions, a first in 20 years, were a huge surprise. Unlike the Villa sides of Mandela’s youth days, this one did not the domineering effect, that blew teams off the park just for their sheer fear factor.

Just imagine what it was having to face a team with the late Majid Musisi, Ronald Vvubya, Steven Bogere, and the leader personified character of Hasule.

For many they were unplayable. It is the same kind of character Stojanovic wants to build in the current side. Yet, following the fact that his side just lost four important players, including captain Kenneth Semakula and play-maker, Umar Lutalo, it is a long hard road ahead.

However, Stojanovic has a can-do attitude since he led a team written off to the championship. Nonetheless, the Cecafa will provide him an opportunity to try out new things like fielding the league’s recently crowned MVP, Jonah Kakande in the number 10 role.

On the face of it, Stojanovic is pushing the narrative that Villa is a winning side, even though the Cecafa may be a bridge too far, considering formidable opponents such as APR FC of Rwanda are there.

On a positive note, Villa have Morley Byekwaso as assistant coach. Together with the likes of Hakim Magumba, a tantalizing midfielder, they won two Cecafa titles. If only he could turn back the hands of time, or maybe it is time for Kakande and company to show the true winning character, that epitomised the Jogoos!