When KCCA FC unveiled Allan Kateregga and Mohammed Shaban on the final day of the last transfer window, the latter over shadowed the former taking almost all the headlines in the news.
It is now over a month and Shaban hasn’t been licensed to represent the Lugogo based outfit as Onduparaka and his Arua based childhood club still demands a fair deal from the titleholders before relieving him of his contract.
The less sang Allan Kateregga meanwhile is already jailing in with the champions and is fast becoming a fans favorite.
“The dancing rasta” as he is fondly called by his peers is a beauty to watch.
With his ‘soft’ favoured left foot, Kateregga indeed dances around opponents twisting and turning them around like a salsa tutor conducting a dance class.
Against a grappling Masavu FC on Saturday 4th of November at Lugogo in the Uganda Premier league, the midfielder took it a notch hire.
Arguably the man of the match, the inverted winger assisted two and netted one as his side tyrannised the visitors in a one sided six-goal thriller to go fourth on the log with 13 points in eight games.
Allan’s nutmegs are as entertaining as his long dread locks, and with his pace and boldness to adventure with the round figure on his left leg, he has won over the hearts of the Kasasiro boys’ faithfuls in just a few weeks.
He adds a dimension that was lucking in the 12 time champions’ squad if not in Ugandan football.
Flare, entertainment, pace, brilliance, genius and the natural unpredictability of a left footed footballer, not to mention his ability to shoot from a distance.
From his first training with the league holders, I was impressed by Kateregga’s vision, physic and awareness with and without the ball.
He is one of the few players I have seen in the local league with the confidence and swiftness to control the ball and quickly look around while dribbling for any avenging opponents.
Those who have played football before will attest that such vision is an attribute of a few special players.
Brian Majwega (now on loan to URA) tried to bring a similar dimension to Mike Mutebi’s side the few times he was deployed as an inverted winger on the right flank while at KCCA FC, but his final delivery was quite suspect. 23-year-old Kateregga may not be the finished article but he shows signs of getting there with time.
My only disquiet with him is getting carried away by the crowd at times especially during home games thus seeming too touchy and indecisive, but this can be trimmed.
The Uganda Cranes has in recent years lacked the touch of a neat left footed attacker with many always flattering to deceive.
Former Kaizer chiefs and now Proline winger Sula ‘Malouda’ Matovu had thrown in the ring as the future of the role during his peak days in a cranes Jersey four to five years ago but his national team career has since hit a downward spiral.
Brian Majwega was another potential revelation but besides his great pace, the URA loanee is lacking in consistency and has now been relegated to the left back by Ibrahim Kirya for the tax collectors to give way for the emerging Sempa Charles on the left wing.
With the modern game demanding such flying inverted wingers for their un predictable runs at defenses, Allan Kateregga’s maiden senior national team call up shouldn’t be subject to debate.
As the National team approaches an inevitable period of transition where younger and fresher legs are coming up, and less exposed prospects like Police FC’s wonder kid Albert Mugisa getting shots at national team, the onus is on Allan Kateregga to stay consistent and no doubt a he will be slapped with the coveted national team summon more sooner than later.
KCCA FC fans will miss him most when his four months loan spell from AFC Leopards is done.
ALLAN KATEREGGA’S QUICK PROFILE
Born/age: Jun 3, 1994 (23)
Nick Name: “Dancing Raster”
Place of birth: Uganda, Mulago
Nationality: Ugandan
Height: 1,75 m
Position: Centre-Forward/Midfielder
Former international: Uganda U21
International caps/goals: 4/2
Current club: KCCA FC (On loan from AFC Leopards)
