UPL 2023/24 Awards: Who will be crowned the league’s best player?
The 2023/24 StarTimes Uganda Premier League player of the season will be recognized at a flamboyant event to be held on Saturday June 29 at Kampala Sheraton Hotel. SC Villa duo of Ronald Ssekiganda and Patrick Jonah Kakande are favourites to win the most coveted accolade on the night for guiding the Jogoos to the […] The post UPL 2023/24 Awards: Who will be crowned the league’s best player? appeared first on Kawowo Sports.
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The 2023/24 StarTimes Uganda Premier League player of the season will be recognized at a flamboyant event to be held on Saturday June 29 at Kampala Sheraton Hotel.
SC Villa duo of Ronald Ssekiganda and Patrick Jonah Kakande are favourites to win the most coveted accolade on the night for guiding the Jogoos to the elusive 17th league title.
Kakande scored 9 goals and made four assists including in the win over NEC that won Villa the game while Ssekiganda was conductor of the team and also hit three goals that inspired Jogoos especially in tough matches where Villa seemed out of ideas.
However, Denis Omedi, scorer of 15 goals for Kitara, KCCA’s Muhammad Shaban who won the golden boot and BUL defensive kingpin Ronald Otti will offer stiff competition.
Ssekiganda is poised to beat KCCA’s Joel Sserunjogi and Maroons’ Abraham Tusubira to the midfielder of the season for helping Villa to the title despite the latter bagging the most assists award.
It will also be a miracle for KCCA’s Usama Arafat and Wakiso Giants young forward Kenneth Kimera – scorer of 10 goals that literally saved the Purple Sharks from relegation to beat Kakande to the young player of the season award.
Otti has stiff competition from SC Villa title winning captain Kenneth Ssemakula and NEC’s South Sudan international Joseph Dhata to the best defender’s gong.
Goalkeeper Tom Ikara managed the most clean sheets in the campaign, 12 but for the best season goalkeeper award, he faces tight competition from Crispus Kusiima (Kitara) and Hannington Ssebwalunyo of Maroons.
SC Villa Serbian tactician Dusan Stojanovic is favourite in the coach of the season category but it won’t be straight forward as KCCA’s Abdallah Mubiru, who garnered most points of any coach since his appointment and Brian Ssenyondo of Kitara who led the Royals to 4th place are big competitors.
The public has been involved to about 40% in the determination of the winners and the experts panel including coaches, captains and selected football journalists carrying 60% of the vote.
Besides the above categories, the best XI of the season, scorer of the best goal, players’ player of the season, coaches’ player of the season, fair play team of the season (team with less cards) will all be awarded.
The Uganda Premier League board will also give out a platinum award to an individual of their choice that has worked tirelessly over a time to see progress of the league.
Player of the season (MVP): Patrick Kakande (SC Villa), Muhammad Shaban (KCCA), Ronald Otti (BUL), Ronald Ssekiganda (SC Villa) and Denis Omedi (Kitara)
Top scorer (Golden Boot winner): Muhammad Shaban (KCCA) 17 goals
Golden Glove winner: Tom Ikara (BUL FC)
Defender of the season: Ronald Otti (BUL), Kenneth Ssemakula (SC Villa) and Joseph Dhata (NEC FC)
Young Player of the Season (U-21): Patrick Kakande (SC Villa), Usama Arafat (KCCA) and Kenneth Kimera (Wakiso Giants)
Coach of the season: Brian Ssenyondo (Kitara), Dusan Stojanovic (SC Villa) and Abdallah Mubiru (KCCA)
Midfielder of the Season: Ronald Ssekiganda (SC Villa), Joel Sserunjogi (KCCA) and Abraham Tusubira (Maroons)
Top assists: Abraham Tusubira (Maroons – 10 assists)
Other wards
Platinum Award (To be decided by UPL Board)
Players’ Player of the Season (Club Captains)
Coaches’ Player of the Season (Head Coaches)
Best XI of the Season
Fair Play Team of the Season
Goal of the season
The post UPL 2023/24 Awards: Who will be crowned the league’s best player? appeared first on Kawowo Sports.
