Hard-tackling midfielder Francis Odongo is only waiting to be unveiled at Mbarara City, after agreeing a one year-deal with the Ankole Lions.
The rock-solid midfielder has been the heart of the Lufumbi midfield since his arrival in Mbale in 2019.
The dreadlocked Rasta man has been an instrumental figure in the Big League side’s quest for Premier League football. In the 2021/22 season, they only got so close, but still missed out narrowly.
This coming season, Odongo will finally get to play in Uganda’s top division football, at Kakyeeka, Western Uganda, leaving Kataka in the second division in Mbale, Eastern Uganda.
Odongo is just one of those on the Kataka departures list. Goalkeeper Edward Kasibante and defender Robert Edmond ‘Sizzo’ Otim have already left to Police, plus attackers Derrick Onyai and Emmanuel Mukisa are all rumoured to be on their way out of the Big League side.
Meanwhile, Mbarara City has had a number of their players leave the club after elevating the team to the top division. That’s exactly where Odongo comes into play, as a suitable replacement.
The Ankole Lions have other fine central midfielders in Ivan Otude, Ronald Edwok, Sunday Geoffrey, but the rock-solid midfielder comes in to add stability in the middle of the pack.
Attackers Methodius Jungu and Jamie Nvule who can also be deployed deep in the midfield will provide even more competition in that position.
Odongo’s physical strength, defensive skills, positional awareness and discipline plus a superior passing ability makes him a stand out figure for the deep lying midfield role. He has simply mastered the art of manning the ‘hole’.
His style of play? The Rasta man is a fighter! He’s so physical, and well known for tackling so hard to win possession, his workaholic nature sees him covering wide distances to give cover to the backline. He’s also a good header of the ball, an attribute that he utilizes both defensively and offensively.
Odongo can actually do more than just tackling, the typical defensive midfielder can carry the ball forward too, playing in advanced attacking roles. That’s how he has scored some important goals for Kataka, most of them with his head.
