It all started in a small village, Bbiina in Luzira a Kampala suburb years ago where Kaddu was born in the early 90’s. Nicknamed, Salgado, Kaddu was a local darling probably more because of his discipline than talent.
To his beloved mother, Hadija Nakitende a grocery seller in a local market in Luzira, talk of her son playing football at the biggest stage on the African continent would be a far fetched thought that in the ordinary world would never come to life.
‘Salgado’ and his three siblings lived a tough life, with only their mum fending for them. He could barely last a term in school without being sent home for lack of school fees.
These roughs that denied Kaddu his right to a smooth education, came with a blessing, his head. Those who have watched this soft spoken lad for long acknowledge that only few can head the ball better than the former big league top scorer.
Former Maroons FC coach Asaph Mwebaze who had a part in his early development having worked with him at Maroons is in awe of Kaddu’s ball heading technique.
‘Even as a young Child, Patrick Kaddu always had a strong weapon, the head. Kaddu just knows how to head the ball”, he said to Nile post.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oma62gnxcMs&feature=youtu.be
But despite his evident unique gift, the undertones sounded unconvinced by the player's ability to perform at the national level.
But like every tactician has that favourite player who many in the jury will question, when FUFA unveiled Sebastien Desabre as the head coach of the Uganda cranes in December 2017, the gods had singled out the KCCA FC kid from Luzira as his first love.
Desabre’s arrival coincided with the departure of record national team goal scorer Geoffrey Massa, who had bagged 14 competitive goals in the national shirt since making his debut in the early 2000’s. The unsparing public had sent Massa into early retirement, yet a definite replacement was yet to be identified.
But the French tactician, after working with several strikers in and out side the Ugandan league, had zeroed down to his man, Patrick Kaddu, the cool headed, disciplined, silent head assassin for the 13 time Uganda premier league champions KCCA FC.
Kaddu made his competitive debut for the Uganda Cranes in the AFCON 2019 qualifiers against Tanzania last year at the Mandela national stadium. Like many other players that day, there was little to write home about his performance as the game ended goalless.
The public, (like they always do) attacked the striker, but the coach had seen something in him.
Besides his evident ball heading technique, Kaddu is a ‘contract assasin’.
He is a player who listens to instructions and plays by the book. This kind of discipline is what coaches want today and it surely impressed the French tactician.
Kaddu is also good at keeping defenders on their toes because he keeps them busy.
First forward to the November 2018, Kaddu pays the trust, as he headed home the only goal of the game against Cape Verde to send Uganda into a second consecutive AFCON.
The former ‘Chapati’ maker had become Uganda’s AFCON hero.
The analysis continued. I know a few who even placed bets that Kaddu would never be on the plane to the AFCON finals.
The emergency of Police FC’s Juma Balinya, who was the lead goal scorer in the Startimes Uganda premier league with 19 goals yet Kaddu only managed a ‘paltry’ 14 for eventual champions, KCCA FC also did not help matters a lot. But the coach wasn’t moved by the naysayers.
Desabre had seen something perhaps everyone else hadn't.
Through his head was history, that was to he unleashed and recorded on Saturday 22nd June 2019 at the Cairo international stadium.
Just 14 minutes at the biggest stage of African football were enough for Kaddu to make his mark of history. A statement in bold and a dream come true. Kaddu headed Uganda’s first goal at the 2019 AFCON finals, and the 19th in the country’s history at the tournament.
It was a goal for him, a goal for the coach, a goal for the team, a goal for his mum, a goal for Uganda, and one for East Africa.
Kaddu’s creation, the ‘monkey’ dance was at the continental level, seen by millions and millions of football fans who were watching from God knows where.
The son of a grocery seller, dumped and dejected by his own dad, the boy who had to make chapatis to fend for himself and siblings, the soft spoken lad who was homeless for sometime, Patrick Kaddu had the dream of an entire country close to 40 million people on his head when he brushed home the first goal of the AFCON 2019 finals.
Members of parliament, and everyone who supported Uganda was dancing and shouting on top of their voice to the super strike from the son of Hadija Nakitende.
Regardless what happens on Wednesday against Zimbabwe and later against hosts Egypt, Patrick Kaddu has earned his special chapter in the chronicles of Uganda’s football history and we shall all live to remember him not only for his ball heading prowess but also his invention, the ‘Monkey’ dance celebration.
