Ssenyondo: Four wins mean nothing to KCCA

Brian Ssenyondo has urged KCCA FC to keep their feet on the ground despite extending their winning streak to four matches, warning that there is still plenty of work to do if they are to challenge for the Uganda Premier League title.

The Kasasiro Boys needed a late Sammy Reynold Ssebaduka header to complete a 2-1 comeback victory over Lugazi FC at Phillip Omondi Stadium in Lugogo on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.

Although the result pleased the KCCA coach, the performance left him with concerns, particularly about the team’s slow start and lack of urgency before they found their rhythm.

“I think first of all we are happy with the results, but the performance was very decent. The problem is that in over, I think, 16 minutes we had two reactions. We are not proactive in the way we are doing things on the pitch,” Ssenyondo said.

He explained that KCCA needed to settle down, move the ball patiently and get their players moving instead of forcing passes and rushing their attacks.

“But I think once we are in at 17 minutes, we will try to come into the game and calm it down. And play, not to force the ball, but to try and move the ball, move the bodies, which in the end it paid off. Of course, it is a hard ball to win,” he added.

Lugazi made life difficult for the hosts, who struggled to turn their possession into clear-cut chances during a goalless and somewhat controversial first half.

The visitors eventually broke the deadlock in the 56th minute when Cromwell Rwothomio rose to head home Frank Mulimi’s corner, leaving KCCA with work to do.

Ssenyondo’s response from the bench proved decisive.

Charles Lwanga had barely settled into the game when he met Ibrahim Kasule’s corner in the 67th minute to bring KCCA level, scoring just four minutes after coming on.

With the match seemingly heading for a draw, another substitute, Shafik ‘Nana’ Kwikiriza, produced the moment that separated the two sides.

Kwikiriza raced down the left wing in the first minute of stoppage time and delivered a cross that Sammy Reynold Ssebaduka headed home to send the Lugogo faithful into celebration.

The victory lifted KCCA to fifth place with 13 points, while Lugazi remained 13th on eight points.

Four wins are not enough

For Ssenyondo, the comeback was encouraging, but the bigger picture matters more than the celebrations that followed the final whistle.

He believes recovering from a goal down showed the character KCCA are trying to build, although he wants his players to handle such situations with greater composure.

“And also coming back, you know, you don’t usually come back from a goal and win things but that shows a lot and shows the mentality and the character we try to create here. And if we want to win the championship, as we will, we need to calm down from this kind of game,” he said.

KCCA’s winning run has come after an inconsistent start to the campaign, with Ssenyondo admitting that his side are still finding their feet.

Despite having enjoyed a good pre-season, the team did not begin the league as he had hoped and struggled to collect points in their opening matches.

“We had a good pre-season, so we started on the forefront which we didn’t. But we are catching up in the season. We needed to start like that,” he said.

“Because I was also now struggling to pick points here and there. So we are growing into the season. The good thing is the result.”

The coach believes winning gives him the platform to improve performances and continue implementing his philosophy, but he has little patience for complacency.

“Because you can only better the performance and instil your philosophy in the team as long as you are still on the team. And that goes for winning. So the good thing is we are winning.”

He was even more emphatic when asked about KCCA’s four-match winning streak, insisting that such a run should not be treated as a major achievement for a club of their stature.

“And the four wins mean nothing to a club like this. This club is going to win 10 on the spin, 15 on the spin. It’s a micro mentality if we start celebrating, getting excited, carried away,” Ssenyondo said.

With 17 opponents to contend with, he wants his players to maintain the same hunger and discipline as they look to extend their run.

“We need to keep this resilience and see that we can come in the fifth one, the sixth one, maybe also the tenth one. We keep doing what we believe is best for us to get the big points. And hopefully we can go to Cameroon against Narasic and take the title,” he added.

Set-piece mistake to correct

For all the joy of the late winner, KCCA also had to confront a familiar part of the game that can quickly undo their good work.

Ssenyondo blamed a lapse in concentration during a defensive set piece for Lugazi’s opener, explaining that one player failed to occupy his assigned zone under their zonal-marking system.

“One player didn’t take his zone and was left, so we conceded from that. But we have not been conceding from set pieces because the work we do is also on set pieces,” he said.

“It is a goal we didn’t want to concede. I can’t take it, and we can’t take the lesson and correct that in the next set piece.”

The mistake did not cost KCCA points this time, but it is the sort of lapse the coach wants eliminated as the team faces tougher challenges.

Substitutes deliver as attacking concerns remain

Ssenyondo’s changes ultimately won the game, with Lwanga and Kwikiriza making the difference after coming off the bench.

However, KCCA’s attacking play was not always convincing, particularly in the final third, where the team sometimes lacked the coordination to make the most of its opportunities.

Ivan Ahimbisibwe appeared short of pace up front, while Lazaro Bwambale worked hard on the flank and delivered some good crosses without finding teammates in the right positions to finish them.

Lwanga’s equaliser provided the breakthrough KCCA needed, before Kwikiriza’s excellent delivery allowed Ssebaduka to snatch all three points.

The substitutions highlighted the depth available to Ssenyondo, who admitted that choosing his starting team has become a challenge because of the quality in his squad, particularly in midfield and attack.

“You must appreciate that we have quality players. And majorly in the middle field and up front. So it’s a bit of a headache for a coach, but it’s a positive headache. It’s good because we have good players,” he said.

He also discussed Emmanuel Anyama’s involvement, explaining that the player had been out for a period and had made an impact after coming off the bench in the previous game.

“Last game we started him on the bench. Then he came and gave us a win. Maybe we thought today they would. But we’ve been doing that. We’ve been trying in the two seconds to keep on positional rotations,” Ssenyondo said.

The coach acknowledged that the positional rotations had not worked as planned against Lugazi, but the changes eventually gave KCCA the attacking threat they needed.

“To keep on rotating. I think it didn’t come out very well. But at least we saw what we were capable of,” he said.

He also admitted that the team lacked a natural presence on the left wing for parts of the match and that the tactical adjustments made later helped secure the victory.

Ssenyondo added that tactical decisions are often easier to question from the stands than from the dugout, where coaches must make difficult choices in the heat of a match.

Meanwhile, Brian Jjara needs to release the ball earlier and pick the right passing channels, especially given the responsibilities that come with his defensive midfield role.

Goalkeeper Mutwalib Mugoloofa is another concern. He has not been at his best since the season started, and KCCA will need greater consistency from him as the campaign progresses.

Mbarara City FC stand in KCCA’s way

KCCA have little time to dwell on their comeback victory, with a trip to Kamwenge to face Mbarara City FC scheduled for Saturday, October 31.

Mbarara have struggled defensively this season, but their recent performances suggest they will not be easy opponents.

Zaidi Byekwaso’s side gave SC Villa a good contest at Wankulukuku despite losing 2-0 before bouncing back to beat Vipers SC in their latest outing, courtesy of a Gaddafi Kacancu goal.

That victory will have boosted Mbarara’s confidence ahead of KCCA’s visit, making the fixture a potentially tricky test for Ssenyondo’s men.

KCCA will be chasing a fifth consecutive league victory, a milestone they last reached during the 2025/26 Uganda Premier League season in March 2026.

During that run, the Kasasiro Boys beat BUL FC 2-1, defeated Buhimba United Saints 2-0 away from home, edged Police FC 2-1 and thrashed Express FC 3-0 in the Kampala Derby.

The winning streak culminated around March 13-14, 2026, when KCCA faced Lugazi seeking a fifth straight victory.

They now have another chance to match that achievement, but Ssenyondo knows that extending the run will require more than late goals and individual brilliance.

The fans want his players to improve their coordination, cut out defensive mistakes and approach every match with the same determination.

For KCCA, the win over Lugazi was another step in the right direction. The next challenge is to show that they can maintain their momentum away from home, starting against a Mbarara side that will be eager to frustrate their title ambitions.

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