Yusuf Gitta during his playing days
Football enthusiasts who were around in the 1980s and early 1990s will remember a flying winger who destroyed defences at will.
Yusuf Gitta was a promising player at Express before making a name at Buikwe Red Stars but just when he was settling at KCC FC having become an assured starter for the Uganda Cranes, he abruptly left for the United Kingdom, leaving many to wonder what would have been of him.
Recently, I bumped into Gitta at Kamwokya while on holiday in Uganda; it was the first time to meet him for more than 32 years.
ROAD TO STARDOM
Having displayed immense talent at Iganga SS in the early 1980s, Iganga TC noticed his talent, but the 19-year-old snubbed the second-tier side and joined Express FC in 1985 under the influence of Hajji Abdul Kasujja, one of the Red Eagles’ legendary officials. He had bags of promise but spent part of the season on the bench simply because club bosses preferred tried-and-tested players.
But later, coach George Mukasa gave him some playing time and the youngster did not disappoint, finding the back of the net against Nile and UCB, but he remained behind Jimmy Muguwa and Joachim Matovu in the pecking order. By then, everyone had taken note of Gitta, but he remained a reserve player. He was an unused substitute when Express defeated KCC FC in the 1985 Uganda Cup final.
Tired of being a bench player, Gitta moved to Kayunga FC, a second-tier side, but Express blocked the move because he had yet to complete the mandatory two years he had signed for.
Express also blocked his second attempt to play for KK Cosmos, another second-tier side formed by Kasujja. Gitta got his freedom in 1987 after moving to the Buikwe Red Stars. At Buikwe, Gitta still played on the right wing, where he tortured opponents with tantalizing runs with immaculate crosses; in other words, the boy was irresistible.
The trio of him, Fred Babeko and Jolly Kituntu was awesome. Kampala giants chased his signature, but Buikwe supremo Joseph Lusse used his huge pockets to keep him. Gitta also turned his form to the revived Bika football tournament in 1987, guiding his Nvuma clan on a fairytale run before they lost to Ngabi in the quarterfinal.
UGANDA CRANES CALLING
His top form prompted Uganda Cranes coach Barnabas Mwesiga to draft him into the squad that played in the 1987 Cecafa Cup in Ethiopia. However, he had to wait until the second group match against Zimbabwe to make his debut.
From then on, he became a regular in the Uganda Cranes side. In 1988, he featured in the team that lost to Malawi in a 1990 World Cup qualifier. Later in the year, he played in the 1988 Cecafa Cup held in Malawi. When Lusse was detained in 1988, it took a toll on Buikwe Red Stars’s financial standing. Several players deserted the club, including Gitta.
In 1989, KCC went into mass recruitment spree by snapping up Gitta, David Kavule and Sadiq Wassa, among others. Gitta quickly fitted in well in the team, but coach Polly Ouma struggled to pick a winning side and left Lugogo at the end of the season.
Incidentally, when Ouma was appointed new Uganda Cranes coach, he dropped Gitta, replacing him with Sam Ssimbwa, who in turn became Ronald Vubya’s understudy. In 1990, Tom Lwanga returned as KCC coach and besides playing exciting football, the club missed out on the league title.
However, KCC surprised many when they defeated SC Villa 3-0 to win the Uganda Cup courtesy of two Gitta assists. Gitta played a key role in this campaign; he scored a goal in the 5-1 win over Entebbe Young as well as the pulsating 5-3 victory over Resistance FC.
In the 1991 season, Gitta opened the league campaign with an assist in the 2-1 win over Bell, with Mike Mutebi scoring the consolation for the Luzira-based side. The Bell game was Gitta’s last match before he prematurely ended his football career and left for the UK, where he resides to this date.
bzziwa@observer.ug
Source: The Observer
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