Onduparaka striker Muhammad Shaban surprised many when he was crowned by Uganda Olympic Committee president William Blick as MVP at the Fufa Awards last year. The teenager had beaten other nominees like Mamelodi Sundowns’ shot-stopper Denis Onyango and Standard Liege’s midfielder Farouk Miya at the ceremony held at the lavish Commonwealth Resort in Munyonyo.
Having finished as second best top-scorer with 13 goals, Shaban made the three-man shortlist for the MVP gong at the second Azam Uganda Premier League (UPL) Awards set for Imperial Royale Hotel on July 26. Shaban, currently away with teammate Rashid Toha on trials at SuperSport United in South Africa, will vie to beat KCCA veteran forward Geoffrey Sserunkuma and SC Villa’s Emmanuel Okwi for that honour won by now Zambia-based defender Joseph Ochaya last year. Shaban’s goals were 39.4 percent of Onduparaka’s total tally - 33 - as the Arua-based club finished fifth in their maiden topflight season.
However, the 19-year-old faces stiff competition for the prize - a grey Subaru Forester with registration number UBA 409V - from Sserunkuma, who top-scored with 21 goals to help KCCA retain the league title. Meanwhile, Okwi settled in the second round and scored 10 goals to help finish second. The UPL Awards night also has Onduparaka’s 12th man one of the contenders to win the Fans of the Year Award. Besides the MVP honour, there are 16 more Awards on offer including best goalkeeper, coach, defender, midfielder, club CEO and best among the media personalities. Sserunkuma’s teammates Benjamin Ochan, Muzamiru Mutyaba and Allan Okello are nominees for the best goal keeper, midfielder and young player of year honours.
2016/17 AZAM UPL AWARDS
AWARDS CATEGORIES
Champions - KCCA FC
MVP of the season: Geoffrey Sserunkuma (KCCA FC), Emmanuel Okwi (SC Villa) and Muhammad Shaban (Onduparaka)
Goalkeeper of the season: Isma Watenga (Vipers), Benjamin Ochan (KCCA FC) and Thomas Ikara (Kirinya Jinja SS)
Defender of the season: Halid Lwaliwa (Vipers), Habib Kavuma (KCCA FC) and Timothy Awany (KCCA FC)
Midfielder of the season: Sadam Juma (Express FC), Mutyaba Muzamir (KCCA FC) and Shafik Kagimu (URA FC)
Top Scorer: Geoffrey Sserunkuma (KCCA FC, 21goals)
Young Player of the year: Allan Okello (KCCA FC), Frank Tumwesigye (Vipers) and Thomas Ikara (Kirinya Jinja SS)
Fan’s player of the year: (Voted by fans)
Fair play club of the season: (As per statistics)
Fair play individual of the season: (To be selected by committee)
UPL best XI: (To be selected by committee)
Coach of the year: Mike Mutebi (KCCA FC), Abbey Bogere Kikomeko (Kirinya Jinja SS) and Wasswa Bbosa (SC Villa)
Best Goalkeeping coach: Kiggundu Stephen Billy (Vipers) Daniel Kiwanuka (KCCA FC) and Sam Kawalya (Express FC)
Referee of the year: (To be selected by referee’s committee)
Club CEO of the season: David Tamale (KCCA FC), Peter Lwanga (Vipers) and William Bakkabulindi (Proline)
Media Personality (5): (To be selected by awards committee)
This writer is a scribe with Daily Monitor Newspaper and, also a sports presenter with NBS Television and Radio One FM 90 in Kampala. Follow him on Twitter: @AllanDarren and his Facebook Page: Darren Allan Kyeyune