ALEX ISABIRYE: BUL FC IS BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

More than ever before, the Eastern Giants have assembled a fairly young squad that will compete in several seasons to come.

Numerous members of the Junior side have been given a node to the first team and a variety of new players in their early 20s have been recruited as we aim to build a dominant football dynasty in Uganda.

Simon Peter Oketch leads the legion of the gifted young players from the Junior team that have earned places in the senior squad for close to three seasons now. And the party is joined by Thomas Kabaale, Hamis Tibita and Aprem Martin. 

Reagan Kalyowa is likely to establish himself as a dominant figure for the Eastern Giants while Owen Mukisa and Allan Kiggundu have been given a taste of topflight football by the current management and may mold into the next big things in a short while.

Team manager, Alex Isabirye said he is building a temple of soccer at BUL Football Club, and is willing to take a gamble on young talent with huge potential to perform in the league.

“We are building a team which will dominate football in Uganda in the next three to four years.”

“That is why we are greatly considering young players but mainly from our Junior team.”

Talking of the junior team, this team won the Juniors league in 2019 and the side now claims more than nine players on the first team. Isabirye echoed that these will be the cornerstone of the long-term-project and a viable option to mercenary players.

“We have a lot of good young players. We are refining and grooming them.”

“We no longer want players who only come here to get the money but not to play for the team.”

“We now want players with a thick team spirit.”

Youthful Signings

The club carefully signed proven but quite young players to reinforce key positions – right from goalkeeping to the attacking end after fourteen players were released last season.

Said Keni was recruited to better the goalkeeping area. Then the midfield was freshened up by the addition of George Kasonko and Pascal Ngobi. Ibrahim Nsimbe and Ivan Wani were fetched to sharpen our attack, and all these players are under the age bracket of 25. Other new players in the same age bracket are Joel Abaliwano and Douglas Muganga.

It should be borne in mind that we also signed a promising Jerome Kirya. The attacking midfielder is below 20 years of age.

The club was already rich with established and exciting youthful players like Joseph Semujju and Musa Esenu, to mention but two.

Our manager, Isabirye is working on a formula which will weave them together with the more experienced players to form a steely threatening team.

Competing next season

We now believe we have assembled a strong squad that can attain long-term success.

The club embarked on preparations early enough in response to that unfamiliar 11th finish in the league, and Isabirye said, the Eastern Giants are now set to begin at full speed in the forthcoming campaign that kicks off a fortnight from now

“Our target this season is to compete.”

“The team is good and we do not aim to finish in the 11th place.”

“We have got good players with character. At least, we want to be in the top four.”

BUL has featured in thirteen trial games, sprinkled opponents with goals and notched up nine preseason wins.

May the season begin