Chuni calls for humility as Real Stars salute Uganda’s top athletes

Long-serving football administrator and former footballer, often referred to as the Football Professor, Yusuf Kyeyune ‘Chuni’, has urged the current national team players to remain humble and continue working hard to achieve success.

His advice follows Uganda's disappointing 3-0 loss to Algeria in their opening CHAN tournament fixture at Namboole Stadium. 

Kyeyune, who played for teams such as City Cubs, Wandegeya, Cooperative, and Express, and later served as a technical director at SC Villa, addressed the press after receiving a Lifetime Achievers Award during the Fortebet Real Stars Awards at Lazio Restaurant on Tuesday. 

He emphasized the importance of a deep love for the game, stating, “These players should truly love football, as this is essential for anyone to succeed. They need to put in extra effort beyond what the coaches provide to excel, especially now that they have good funding.”

Kyeyune noted that Algeria possesses superior technical skills compared to Uganda, and he suggested that the team needed a better strategy to compete against such experienced North African opponents. Additionally, he called for the establishment of a national playing style that the country should adopt.

“All my life has been dedicated to football, and I want to thank the organizers of these awards for this recognition,” said Kyeyune, who has contributed to the sport for over 40 years.

Frank Kiwalabye, ‘Black Fire,’ who beat Tanzanian Karim Kisairo to the WBU World Super Bantamweight Title at Club Obligato in Kampala, was also rewarded alongside rally driver Ponsiano Lwakataka, who won the Bwera-Bistro Masaka Challenge Rally to remain in contention for the National Rally Championship.

“I would like to thank the sponsors and the media for always offering the support and my managers who have continued to push me to continue shining for the country,” Kiwalabye said.

“I have gone all through the ranks of boxing, and now I’m aiming for the WBC title, which I also aim to win on home soil. I want to show the world that a world championship can be won at home. I’m a fierce fighter in the ring and will continue to shine for the country,” he stated.

Lwakataka also vowed to continue fighting for the national rally championship despite the tough competition among the top five drivers, who are separated by just a few points. “I drive an old model car but continue to beat all the big boys in the sport with all their modern machines. So, I thank my sponsors and all my fans that continue to support me financially,” Lwakataka noted.

“I was a daring driver during my youth, and it is surprising that I continue to beat all these established and even younger drivers. This can be attributed to keeping ourselves fit together with my co-driver Paul Musaazi.”

“The rally events I win are always against established at tough opposition of more than 40 cars because I have the talent, I’m knowledgeable, and I don’t give up easily,” Lwakataka stated.

Sponsors representatives, Fortebet's Resty Mbatidde and Jude Colour Solutions Henry Zzimbe, urged the winners to continue working hard in order to grab more of such awards.