Wakiso based Pax Socccer Academy saw off nine other teams to win the U-12 title at Galazo Sports Arena in Makerere on Monday hosted by CITY PRO International Sports Academy named ‘The tough experience tournament’
Pax SA beat Sky Fliers SA 3-0 in the final, a side that had beat them 1-0 in the group stage action. Rayan Mwesigye, Wasswa Hussein and Ssemanda Jeremiah were on target for Pax.
Pax SA knocked out Ice cream 3-2 in spot-kicks after a goal-less draw in normal time in the semis and had earlier defeated Vikings 1-0 at the quarter final level.
In the group, Champions Pax beat hosts City Pro (1-0), drew 1-1 with Chester and lost 1-0 to Sky Fliers.
Though the main emphasis was in in thee U-12 category, eight teams also participated in the U-14 one day gala.
Coach Ian Fred Ssebaka who mostly surfaced to the football scenes during his time at St Julian Gayaza, expressed his happiness organising such a successful tournament.
” We are greatful that we have had this success, 16 teams participating, and most of these coaches are my friends that have brought kids to participate and most importantly we organise such to give kids more exposure and as well get more used to competition and experience. And I also invited parents to come and wat h the progress so far with their children they trusted us with. So I thank the so much especially those of City Pro Soccer Academy.”
A brief about City Pro International Soccer Academy
City Pro SA academy started in 2013 based in Mukono with 30 kids and was later shifted to Kampala during the COVID time.
A happy Ian Ssebaka, is so far happy with the progress from where they started, where they have reached now and the bigger strides they are taking towards achieving their goals.
” I got the inspiration to start up this academy from the primary school I was coaching back then and am happy today I have products in Secondary schools, Masaza, clubs and abroad.”
City Pro SA started life in Kampala at Sir Apollo Kaggwa at Makerere primary school play ground and from December last year it has shifted to Golazo Sports Arena Makerere near Bugema University.
City Pro SA Growth
The shift from Mukono to Kampala, helped coach Ian get an idea of creating a football home where the kids could gather for training sessions.
City Pro had today got two football homes, one in Kawempe where academy kids are transported everyday to train during holidays and another branch is in Jokolera in Wakiso.
The City Pro Jokolera branch accommodates both boys and girls contrary to the one in Kawempe. Numbers have growing up, the Jokolera branch has more than 40kids and and the main branch has got more than 80 kids.
Training and talent development at CITY PRO
The academy employs qualified staff, it has got it’s internal coaches but as well, brings in other experts to help develop talent.
” We have our own coaches but as well we bring in more technical people to help us, like Cocah Edward Golola, Coach Frank, coach Med Kisseka and their experience helps us alot to help these kids learn more. ” Ian Ssebaka stated.
After a very successful one day invitational tournament, Academy, City Pro management had an interactive meeting with the academy parents in which they shared ideas on achieving their objectives.
In the same meeting, Coach Ian highlighted on some of the achievements reached and also hinted on the desire to progress to a more professional level.
” I must say we have moved steps forward helping kids to get bursaries in different schools and we hope to get more for others this starting term , I must also accept that we have wasted some time or taken long to leave the amature stage, our challenge was we lucked financial resources at the start and all of us were inexperienced in coaching and management we have just learnt while running the academy.
In his conclusive remarks speaking to this site he was proud of the academy products so far playing at higher levels.
” I must also be proud that the world can see some of our products like Aggrey Mbappe Nyombi, Ibrahim Kasinde, Lubega(Buddu Ssaza), Namusanga Nicholas and others. We started with small objectives of helping kids get scholarships but we fell now we have developed the muscles to develop players to national team levels and even playing for big teams.
