The shortlist for the Airtel FUFA Male and Female player of the year has been reduced to just five nominees in the two categories following two voting phases that involved coaches and captains in the Uganda Premier League and 16 coaches for teams in the FUFA Women Super League and the FUFA Women Elite League.
The five were chosen from the initial 16 and 12 nominees list for the male and female category respectively.
The second phase of voting saw the coaches and captains selecting the top five nominees in the two categories.
In the male category, the final five nominees include Bright Anukani (Proline FC), Allan Okello (KCCA FC), Shafic Kagimu (URA FC), Allan Kayiwa(Vipers SC) and Musitafa Kizza (KCCA FC).
Anukani guided Proline FC to winning a double (The StarTimes FUFA Big League and the Stanbic Uganda Cup). He was named the MVP in the StarTimes FUFA Big League last season.
KCCA FC duo of Kizza and Okello won the StarTimes Uganda Premier League, the FUFA Super Cup, and the CECAFA Kagame Cup and were part of the Cranes team that qualified for the 2020 Championship of African Nations (CHAN).
Kagimu and Kayiwa had a good run in the league at URA FC and Tooro United FC respectively and the two were part of the Cranes team that qualified for CHAN.
The top five nominees in the female category include Shadia Nankya, Hasifah Nassuna, Juliet Nalukenge, Fauzia Najjemba and Daizy Nakaziro who are also part of the Crested Cranes that will compete at the 2019 CECAFA Women’s Challenge Cup in Tanzania.
Nalukenge captained Uganda U17 Girls’ national team to winning the COSAFA Championship and she emerged top scorer with 18 goals. She helped Kawempe Muslim to win both the national and East Africa Secondary Schools championship.
Najjembe, a student at Mukono High School who moved from Isra Soccer Academy to Kampala Queens recently was part of the Uganda U17 Girls’ national team that won the COSAFA Championship scoring 12 goals.
She was joint to scorer in the FUFA Women Elite League (regular season) scoring 14 goals. Najjemba helped Mukono High School to win the Independence Cup, she finished as a top scorer both in the National Schools Championship and the East Africa Secondary Schools Championship scoring 14 and 10 goals respectively.
Nassuna who won the Airtel FUFA Female player of the year accolade in 2016 guided UCU Lady Cardinals to winning the FUFA Women Elite League last season ending the season as the top scorer with 16 goals and was also named the most valuable player.
Defender Nankya scored 11 goals in the league and was the top scorer in the FUFA Women’s Cup with seven goals while Lady Doves goalkeeper Daizy Nakaziro was named the best goalkeeper both in the FUFA Women Elite League and the FUFA Women’s Cup.
The coaches’ and captains’ votes contribute 50% and 25% respectively in determining the winner while the fans have a contribution of 25%.
The 2019 Airtel FUFA Awards dinner will be held on 14th December at Speke Resort Munyonoyo where the winners in two categories will drive away in new cars.
Awards categories:
Male Player of the year
Allan Okello – KCCA FC
Allan Kayiwa – Vipers SC
Shafic Kagimu – URA FC
Mustafa Kizza – KCCA FC
Bright Anukani – Proline FC
Female player of the year
Fauzia Najjemba – Kampala Queens
Shadia Nankya – Uganda Martyrs/ UCU Lady Cardinals
Juliet Nalukenge – Kawempe Muslim Ladies
Hasifah Nassuna – UCU Lady Cardinals
Daizy Nakaziro – Lady Doves
Male Coach of the Year
Abdallah Mubiru (Police FC)
Mutebi Mike Hillary (KCCA FC)
Bisaso Shafiq (Proline FC)
Women’s Football Coach of the Year
Oliver Mbekeka (Lady Doves)
Ayub Khalifa Kiyingi (Kawempe Muslim Ladies)
Ndaula Fred (Makerere University)
Fair Play Award (based on a number of caution during the period considered)
Police FC
Maroons FC
URA FC
Upcoming Talent Award (FUFA Juniors League)
Mugweri Gavin Kizito (SC Villa)
Anaku Sadat (KCCA SA)
Ssekajja Davis (Bright Stars FC JT)
Beach Soccer Player of the Year
Luboyera Herbert (Mutola)
Ochero Sulaiman (St Lawrence)
Mutebi Ronald (St Lawrence)
FUFA Member Associations’ Award
Uganda Beach Soccer Association (UBSA)
Buganda region Football Association
KCCA Football Club
Team Fans of the Year (FUFA Competitions)
KCCA FC
Onduparaka FC
SC Villa
Tooro United FC
Acholi Province
West Nile Province
Lango Province
Bunyoro Province
Full List of the 2019 Airtel FUFA Awards Categories:
Male Player of the Year 2019
Female Player of the Year 2019
Best XI 2019 (Men)
Best XI 2019 (Women) – New
Coach of the Year 2019
Women Football Coach of the Year – New
Presidential Award
Fair Play Award 2019 (UPL)
Upcoming Talent Award 2019 (FJL)
Beach Soccer Player of the Year
Fans’ Favorite Uganda foreign-based Player
Best Squad (Club/National Team) of a particular Year
FUFA Member Associations’ Award
Team Fans of the Year (FUFA Competitions)
