Uganda Cranes and Vipers SC forward Shaban Muhammad could most likely be on the way back to his boyhood Onduparaka FC.
The Caterpillars head of communications Drabe Godfrey has confirmed the developments in an interview with Arua FM on Sunday.
He stated: “Its true we have been in talks with Vipers about Muhammad Shaban and we shall let the public know when the time is right.”
The former Raja Casablanca forward joined the Venoms at the start of the 2019/20 season following a mutual agreement to terminate his employment contract with the Moroccan giants.
During his two-year stay in Casablanca, the enigmatic forward made just seven appearances and witnessed his strike in the back of the net only once, thereby underwhelming both the club and the fans.
His move to Kitende appeared to offer a shot at redemption for Jagason (as he prefers to be called by his peers) but little did he know that he was to find it had to hit his expected mark courtesy of injuries.
It is also imperative to remember that Shaban was suspended by the club for vandalizing stadium apparatus, something he did in the aftermath of a substitution by the then Vipers SC head coach Fred Kajoba.
This was indeed the lowest point in his tenure with the Kitende side as it epitomized his short tempered attitude but most importantly, his unprofessionalism as a player. Needless to mention that he scored a single goal for the team in the course of last season.
Shaban left Onduparaka in 2017 following an agreement to join an industrious KCCA FC side under the stewardship of Mike Hillary Mutebi.
The transfer itself was contentious and opened a can of worms right from it’s inception. The bottomline being that the West Nile side were unsatisfied and took it upon themselves to appeal to the FUFA Players Status Committee, an appeal that seems not to have materialized.
Shaban went on to score thirteen league goals once he was cleared to play for the Lugogo side and most importantly scored the goal against Ethiopia’s St.George to see KCCA FC advance to the CAF Champions League Group stages in 2018.
His most likely destination in the event that he leaves Kitende, Onduparaka FC on the other FC have witnessed a mass exodus of players counting as high as fourteen.
These include: Opoka Augustine, Najib Tusaba, Hakim Magombe, Ali Mukiibi, Amis Thiago, Shaban Wasswa, Denis Andama, Ajobe Mahdi, Kabon Living, Med Kyelime, Moses Okot, Oscar Agaba, Noel Nasasira, Akoch Augustine and Kabon Living.
The Caterpillars finished twelfth on the log in the recently concluded season with 28 points from a maximum of 26 league games to climax an uncharacteristic season that saw them part ways with their manager Viali Binomugisha.
They will also take part in the inaugural West Nile Super 8 tournament, whose ambition will be preparing the sides in the region for a competition ahead.
As he contemplates a move back to the West Nile region, a place he calls home, Shaban will have options since the reigning FUFA Big League champions Arua Hill seem to have also tabled their interest. It might ultimately be down to him choosing a lesser evil.
