Same old story as Allan Okello makes shock return to KCCA FC
Lugogo based KCCA FC have announced the resigning of youngster Allan Okello on loan from Algerian side Paradou FC.
Okello joined the Algerian top tier side in 2020 and signed a four year deal but has had a torrid stay in the North African country.
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On Tuesday, the 13 time Uganda Premier League champions announced that the 22 year old had returned to Lugogo on loan.
“Okello who is a KCCA FC Junior Team graduate returns to KCCA FC on a season-long loan ahead of the 2022/23 season,” KCCA announced.
The youngster expressed excitement for returning home.
“I am delighted to be coming back home where it all started. I can’t wait to go again,” Okello tweeted.
Okello becomes the 11th player that the Lugogo based side has signed this season.
Other players KCCA FC has signed include Haruna Lukwago, Daniel Isiagi, Mujuzi Musitafa, Shaban Muhamad, Tshisungu Kankonde, Moses Waiswa, Ssenoga Muhamed, Faisal Wabyoona, Saidi Mayanja, and Allan Enyou.
Familiar story
The entire story of Allan Okello moving to Algeria, getting a torrid period and returning home is familiar to what has happened to many Ugandan players abroad.
The largest percentage of players who have gone abroad have not lived up to the expectations of the teams that have bought them and many have ended up either returning home or going to less known leagues.
This state of affairs has on several occasions been attributed to poor preparation of the players back home whereas many are said to have been rushed before they are ready for stints in more professional leagues than the Uganda Premier League.
Speaking last year, Cranes coach, Micho said the transfers of Ugandan youngsters Allan Okello, Farouk Miya and Muhammad Shaban had not been handled well.
“Uganda has not handled well three arguably the most talented players that have in recent years come – Muhammad Shaban, Allan Okello, and Farouk Miya. Age mate of Daka, Shaban instead of going to Dinamo Zagreb; one of the biggest factories of players in Europe like Luka Modric, Lovren so many of them where I brought to Onduparaka for 100,000 Euros, it was turned down and he ended up in Morocco,” Micho said in an interview with Kawowo Sport, a local sports website.
“Miya instead of going to Salzburg, Vipers offered him to Standard Liege which deal was more economically suitable. In Standard Liege, they were changing coaches and Miya was seen as a player to feel the gap but he was young. It was a good strategy for Vipers, bad one for the player. He was supposed to grow gradually at Salzburg and now we would be watching Miya with more footballing confidence and in a better league.”
“When Ajax Amsterdam came for 16 year old Okello, I don’t know what happened but he instead went to AC Paradou in Algeria. Since he went there, seventeen players have gone to Europe but not him.”
It remains to be seen whether the issue of Ugandan players struggling while playing abroad will ever be solved.
