“Give the ball some height,” shouts Phillip Ssozi to Goffin Oyiwroth whose poor cross is headed out by lanky defender Bernard Agele during SC Villa training. And moments later, Ssozi who is a Youth Program Coach at Villa applauds Goffin for “job well done” despite his neat lofty delivery getting wasted by Benson Muhindo.
“Muhindo, you just had to tap in, do not try to complicate things,” he adds. After the session is done, Ssozi spends over five minutes speaking to Gavin Kizito, a player he moulded from the Villa academy. Away from his burly size, Ssozi still looks fit despite retiring from active football over 15 years ago. And before we sit down for a long chat, he humbly approaches head coach Petros Koukouras and explains to him about our arrangement.
“I am a normal person,” Ssozi lightly responds with a beaming smile when asked to talk about himself. “I grew up loving the game of football. I was brought up in Lukuli at my Auntie’s place just behind Sekalala Hotel. Also, I never saw my Father until when I was on the National team.”Ssozi narrates his childhood memories, recalling it as “good life” adding that his mother stopped paying for his tuition in Primary Three before he was given bursaries thereafter. That explains how talented he was while still a toddler.
Growing up, Ssozi attended Mukyala Musisi Nursery and Primary School, Nanganda Primary School, Light College Kati Kamu and Mitala Maria.
“I actually spent just one week at Mitala Maria before I was taken back home after an eye disease infected almost the whole school. But little did I know that my brother who picked me from school had already secured me a place at SDA (Katikamu). I remember a certain Ssekindi was in that deal as he used to spot kids for schools to play at Copa Coca Cola.”
Ssozi was brought up in the same locality with former Uganda Cranes and Express captain George Ssimwogerere.
“We were very close neighbours with Sim’s family,” he fondly remembers.”He was older than us, very smart and tall. We could play at their backyard and everytime he returned, we ran away. We used to fear him but he could give us snacks, money and shoes and he made me love Football. And his Mum loved me so much. In fact he used to give me his balls. “He used to move with the likes of Kefa Kisala, Kennedy Luboga, David Odoa, James Kirinya among other footballers of that generation.”
As a kid, Ssozi used to play at Lukuli ground, where renown striker and age mate Hassan Mubiru was a regular as well. “At Lukuli, there was a man called Siraje Bujilita. He loved us and shaped us. And also Twakuladda Kiberu who founded the Lukuli Team was a good man.”
Ssozi played in Bakanyaga team, an academy-like team of Lukuli United. Then Lukuli United had senior players like Nkugwa and Lugolobi (Dad of Ayub Kisalita).
“They used to beat me because my mum never liked me to play football,” Ssozi narrates.The big incident came when Ssozi was playing for Nanganda PS against Kibuye at Oficers Mess playground. Deployed on the wing, he got the ball, beat an opponent pushed him and sprawled on the ground – his skin was off, and was carried home in bad condition.
“My Mum fumed. I was taken to clinic to dress my wound but my Mum had other plans in mind. She never used the medicine from clinic. She instead used local herbs (Ssere)! And she ordered me to play football again.”She told me to hide every time I could see a ball. She deployed guards to monitor me not to play but they are the same people I used to play with and so I secretly played without her knowledge.
Joining SC Villa
Ssozi showed his abilities with the ball at Mpigi during the Schools championships as the teams battled for slots to Gulu for Nationals around 1995. He was spotted by a man called Luyimbazi who contacted Hajji Mandela.
“I was young but very creative. I could not be defended.”He adds. “There was a tournament amongst Lukuli Zones. I remember I faced my teacher and scored three against him. Then I scored twice against the substitute goalkeeper. And that how my team at Lukuli asked me to play for the senior team. I was at Lukuli, a man called Luyimbazi then ordered us (me, Hassan Mubiru, Carl Ndawula) to go to Villa training.Luyimbazi informed my mum and the Lukuli team. Our first day at SC Villa training did not go as expected; We reached at 3:30pm, the place (Villa park) was already full of fans who would come to watch training. There was a small cliff nearby and that is where we stopped. I was very impressed watching Edgar Watson; the way he controlled the ball, then a young boy called Ronald Kasigazi, Enock Kyembe and Barrack Mufutiye.”
“We went back to Lukuli and lied to them that we trained with Villa. But the lies did not last as Luyimbazi came back home and asked why we did not train. My mum who then was working in Town and knew how big Villa was, had to beat me for trying to waste such an opportunity. She then left transport for me to go to Villa park.”
The next day, Ssozi was at Villa park by midday for the 4pm training.
“Everyone found me there. I interacted with Kyembe first and he was very welcoming. Other players also arrived shortly, then coaches Paul Hasule, Eddy Butindo and Ayiekho, and I impressed in the first training session.”
Few days later, Ssozi was included in Villa squad to face AFC Leopards in Kenya for a pre season friendly. He would go on to score the lone goal of the game coming on as a substitute.
He was given a licence on return, but was still at school. More trouble came when coach Hasule was sacked and replaced by Otti who fancied experienced and old players.Then aged 15, Ssozi was loaned to State House, that had acquired Hasule and its where he got some good minutes.
His first game was against Entebbe Works, which they won 2-1 at Nakivubo.He was mostly deployed as a 10 at State House and he got good education from Butindo and coach Steven Gayige.Players like Arthur Byasiima, Charles Kayemba, Robert Mukiibi, Nakibinge (brother to journalist David Lumansi) were very hospitable and they took him in.
Ssozi says that he continued to get financial help from his parent club SC Villa. “I could eat at Three steps restaurant owned by Mandela who also continued to give me money for transport. Even the likes of Kevin Aliro(RIP) and Tushar Ruparelia(RIP) used to give me money for upkeep.”
He played for one season at State House and returned to Villa after expiry of his loan spell.There, he found Paul Hasule, Sulaiman Kato, Giringi and Geoffrey Higenyi as coaches.His spell at the club yielded seven League titles, three Uganda Cups and 2003 Cecafa Kagame title.
National Team
Ssozi got his first call up as Uganda U17 prepared to face Ethiopia. “I was at Villa then. FUFA wrote to Villa manager William Nkemba who came and informed the coach that I and a couple of Villa players were summoned to the National team,” he remembers.
Then his first senior call came while he was with the Junior team.The U17 National team was then coached by Leo Adraa.
“Paul Hasule who was at Villa and Uganda Cranes, asked me to join the senior team training. I could train with the U17 at Lugogo and then later picked by National Team Manager Odongo who drove me to Nakivubo for the senior team training ahead of Liberia.”
There, he rubbed shoulders with the country’s cream of Majidu Musisi, Philip Obwiny, Sulaiman Tenywa, Livingston Mbabazi among others.His main role was to deliver crosses and he executed it with a lot of excellency.
“Majidu was very impressed with my crosses, he even gave me money after training.”
He would go on to earn his Cranes debut against Liberia on June 5th 1998, scoring an 85th minute goal to give Uganda victory. However, Uganda finished bottom of the Group that also had Tunisia and Algeria to miss out on AFCON 2000.
In the 2004 AFCON Qualifiers, Uganda came close finishing second in Group 13.The Cranes beat Ghana at Namboole courtesy of Phillip Obwiny to get off to a good start. Then picked a goalless draw away to Rwanda in Kigali.But things turned around when Hasule was sacked and replaced with Argentine Pedro Pasculi in the middle of a Qualification campaign.Life under Pasculi was different.
“We lost 1-0 to Rwanda at Namboole. We travelled without Pasculi to Ghana after losing his mum. The team travelled with Leo Adraa.I remember Edgar Watson picked the lineup during our evening tea and we managed to get a one all draw.”
Reflecting on his career, Ssozi has rubbed shoulders with the likes of Hossam Mido (former Egypt International), Haruna Dindane and Vincent Kompany among other stars.He mentions Edgar Watson as one of the most intelligent player he has played with locally.
Ssozi Harbours Big Dreams
Ssozi is currently a coach of Youth Program at Villa.He has put all his efforts to nurture talent and has had a hand in bringing up Gavin Kizito, Bobosi Byaruhanga, Abdallah Salim, Charles Lwanga among others.
“Watching some of those players on the National team has given me satisfaction, it’s a good feeling and I want to bring more on the scene.We have plans to build a strong foundation here at Villa, a player must start right at the age of four when he is a Villa player and knows what that means.”
He also says that his stints abroad added a lot on his football understanding.He wants to take SC Villa junior trainings at Lukuli so that he can tap into the huge talent in the regions like Buziga, Makindye, Nsambya, Kabalagala among others. His dream is to one day become a coach of SC Villa and the National team (Uganda Cranes).
Fact file
Names: Philip Ssozi
Age: 43
Mother: Christina Nakacwa
Father: Fred Ssekandi Kalule
Kids: Luzotich Ssozi (Serbia), Phillips Ssozi, Phinelpa Ssozi, Philemon Ssekandi, Ssozi SnelpaWife: Victoria Nandyose (based in London)
Residence: Lukuli
