FUFA Super 8: Seventeen-year-old Keiden King Lubowa raring to go

The FUFA Super 8 tournament 2024 kicks off this Friday at St Mary’s stadium Kitende with two quarterfinal matches involving defending champions BUL who will take on Maroons, while Vipers will battle NEC for a place in the semifinals.

On Saturday, KCCA and Kitara will renew their rivalry from last season in the first match of the day and later under the floodlights, a blockbuster encounter between league champions Villa and the Cranes Select team will follow.

The Cranes Select side is under assistant Cranes head coach Sam Ssimbwa, and their participation in this tournament is primarily to give some players he hopes to consider for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers scheduled for September an opportunity to train and be fit since a majority of them are in their off season from their parent clubs while others are free agents.

Among those excited to make a mark in this tournament on the Cranes select team is teenage winger Keiden King Lubowa from Express FC and Arizona Western College who says that being included on the national team at his age is a dream come true and wants to use this opportunity to the maximum.

“Honestly, I feel so good, when coach Baker Mbowa told me that I was going to train with the Cranes Select side, and that coach Ssimbwa was going to train me, I thought he was joking because I did not expect it but later, I believed him and it is a good feeling,” an excited Lubowa told Vision Sports during Thursday’s training at MUBS, Nakawa last week.

Lubowa has featured for Express once and that was during the test matches of Hamz stadium Nakivubo grand opening on June 1st when he came on as a substitute and made a serious impact despite his side losing 1-0 to rivals SC Villa.

Mbowa who has been training Lubowa since the age of five years, says that the lad has got talent and what he needs is more playing time, and once he gets that, he has a bright future ahead of him.

“Lubowa is a brilliant player, I have worked him since he was five years old while at Proline Soccer academy before his parents took him to the UK, I can authoritatively say that he is talented, passionate, hardworking and fearless when taking on defenders with his left foot because he has got excellent dribbling skills.” Mbowa described.

Teenage winger Lubowa attempts to dribble. PHOTO: Ismail Mulangwa

“Why it has taken him so long to be noticed, it is because he is barely here and that explains why he has missed out on the U-15 and 17 national teams despite my recommendations, but he has the potential to excel if given a chance.” He added.

Lubowa, now aged 17 years, has spent most of his time in the UK and recently relocated to the States where he is pursuing his education and has trained with good academies especially in England which include Ellesmere, Stoke City, and Black Pool.

He could not permanently join any of them due to difficulties his family experienced in trying to get the necessary documents for a foreign student.

Lubowa looks to Real Madrid and France captain Kylian Mbappé, and wants to be like him.

FUFA Super 8

Friday

At Kitende

Maroons v BUL

Vipers v NEC FC

Saturday

At Lugogo

Kitara v KCCA

Cranes Select v SC Villa