Nyakuni: Onduparaka chairman believes club can conquer East Africa

Onduparaka FC chairman Benjamin Nyakuni believes his charges can conquer East African teams in terms of branding if they remain united.

The Anyivu based side is one of the most supported teams in the Ugandan Premier League since its promotion to the top-tier in the 2015/16 season. The administrator is impressed by the deep love shown by the club's supporters.

"Football is a religion and most fans have Onduparaka Football Club in their DNA. If we are united, we can make this club the number one brand in East Africa," Nyakuni said as quoted by Kawowo Sports .

In the 2019/20 season, the top-tier side faced many challenges as top players and their head coach Charles Livingstone Mbabazi left with the entire technical bench. However, the team still managed to finish eighth on the table with 31 points after an abrupt end to the season owing to Covid-19.

"It has been our toughest season. But I have to thank everyone involved that helped us overcome all hardships," Nyakuni added.

"We will need to have more finances to pay players and facilitate other club activities and am sure that if all that is in order, next season will be our best."

The administrator reveals his team cannot compete financially with some clubs but has set a target of winning a major title soon. He has also revealed plans to make the team financially stable.

"We are in a jungle playing against institutional clubs like URA and KCCA which are well funded. It is a challenge for us, especially that we are from a humble background. We want to professionalize this club and our brand should be more vibrant. We want to restructure the staff and player management and improve on all fronts, do more research on how to improve things. 

"The target is to win a trophy next season. We have lower-division trophies in store and we want a big trophy [league title or Uganda Cup] come next season. We can achieve this if we are all united."

After the annulment of the league, Vipers SC managed to acquire the rights to represent the country in the Caf Champions League.