MR ASSIST: How youngster Kizza has swiftly filled Ochaya, Muleme void at KCCA

By Denis West

To understand the steady progress of the revolution Mike Mutebi ushered at Lugogo with his second homecoming in 2015, you must look at the changing faces in his all-conquering KCCA squad.

Almost seamlessly, Mutebi has gotten rid of the ‘ageing’ and ‘lazy’ players replacing them with the young blood.

“This is a young team averaging 24 years and we are going to educate them in football so that they turn into classy professionals,” Mutebi reveal on Monday before adding; “We don’t want a scenario of Farouk Miya (sold prematurely, according to Mutebi, to Belgian side Standard Liege in 2016 but has been disregarded by various European clubs).”

At the moment, KCCA king assist maker are not playmakers Muzamir Mutyaba, Allan Okello and Paul Mucureezi but a budding left-back in Mutaspha Kizza.

He was far in the picture when KCCA sold marauding left back Joseph Ochaya to Zambia’s Lusaka Dynamos early last year as Isaac Muleme occupied the front seat but deep in Mutebi’s mind, Kizza was the ideal and permanent replacement to Ochaya.

Muleme has since departed to greener pastures in Egypt leaving Kizza in a one-sided slot battle with January recruit Hassan Musana.

Ochaya was present on Saturday as his successor Kizza was delivering that curling assist to Muhammad Shaban to head home KCCA’s winner over St George in the Caf Champions League.

He has now made it a routine to supply strikers with assists – now proudly showing off 10 assists in 11 league outings. Pure class.

He also has two more assists for the Under-20 national team and another two in the Caf Champions League. What will interest KCCA fans is that Kizza is learning from Ochaya and the two share a cordial relationship.

“I told him to pick the good aspects of my game and I am glad he is following suit. We talk before each and after every game and he is a good learner,” Ochaya revealed.

Kizza, in his early twenties, didn’t hide his admiration for the Uganda Cranes left-back; “Ochaya has been my biggest influence so far.”

He admits he is still work in progress as he transforms from being a KCCA under-17 graduate to a reliable starter.

His main weakness is defending deep but that is helped out by the 3-5-2 system club manager Mike Mutebi embraces that allows centre-back Habib Kavuma cover up is he ventures forward.

He has expertise in free kicks and corners which makes him a priceless asset for the team.

Kizza made his competitive debut against Bright Stars in April last season and was U-17 team captain as KCCA reached the finals in 2016 before being loaned out to then Fufa Big League side Maroons at the start of the season.

If he continues with that imperious formbook, be sure he will attract the wide open eye of new Cranes coach Sebastien Desabre and will make it to professional ranks sooner than later.

Galaxy