Hassan Mubiru

Hassan Mubiru (born 16 December 1978 in Lukuli, Makindye division, Kampala district) is an Ugandan football striker who played for Express FC.

Born in Lukuli, a suburb of Kampala district in Makindye division, Hassan Mubiru is one of the most talented footballers that Uganda has ever produced.

Born on the 16th/ 12 / 1978, Mubiru began his soccer career in school like many other footballers in the country.

However, his dream as a child was not to become a footballer as he always dreamt of a career in law or medicine.

This wasn't to be as he dropped out of school in O level.

He had attended Katwe Noor Primary school before joining Makindye High school for secondary education.

He also led the club to finals of the CECAFA club Championship that year for the first time since 1987.

Unfortunately, Villa lost the final game to Tanzanian giants Yanga Africans 4-3 on penalties after a barren draw in the 90 minutes in which Mubiru hit a post with a ferocious shot.

After leaving school in 1994, Mubiru decided to concentrate on football and his career was established at Lukuli United, a first division side in his home village.

Coach Walakira Siraje who was handling the side at the time called Mubiru and asked him to train with the club.

The forward became a starter immediately.

The Villa Park side had last won a league title in 1994.

In 1995/6 Kampala first division league competition, Lukuli United featured alongside many teams that among others included Police FC.

Mubiru's exploits on the right flank of midfield in the competition caught the eye of many including Police FC Coach, Denis Obua (Former FUFA president) who lured the winger to Nakawa Police play ground to join the cops after joining the country's top tier division super league.

At this time, Mubiru was eager to join the side as he wanted to become a super league player.

When he joined Police FC, he found it hard breaking into the first team as a winger since Paul Kabyomere was the undisputed right winger at the club.

On realizing this, Obua decided to find a new role for his new recruit playing Hassan Mubiru as a centre forward.

In his first season at the club, he finished the second runner up in the race for the golden boot.

This attracted the attention of big clubs such as Villa, KCC, Express FC and Umeme who began to fight for his signature.

In the 1997 player transfer season, Hassan Mubiru opted to join Villa for a fee believed to be between Shs 2m and Shs 3m.

However, this surprised many Express fans who believed Mubiru who is alleged to have been sighted at Wankulukuku had already been signed by their club.

On his arrival at Villa Park, Mubiru found a star studded side that included the likes of Iddi Batambuze, Charles Kayemba, Edgar Watson and the like and didn't find it easy commanding a starting place in the side.

However, his quality on the ball was evident for all to see.

Coach Paul Hasule who had described Mubiru as a rough diamond that needed polishing transformed the forward into a deadly striker difficult to mark by even the best defenders on the land.

Mubiru later formed a deadly striking combination with another youngster Mukasa Andrew.

Despite failing to help Villa to the league title in the 1997 season, Mubiru looked a safe bet for a future star centre forward.

In 1998, Mubiru helped SC Villa to a league and cup double.

In 1999, Hassan Mubiru and Andrew Mukasa formed a deadly striking partnership following the falling of Charles Kayemba to third choice in the pecking order.

The combination holds a place among the deadliest in the history of Ugandan football.

During that season, the duo scored 70 league goals between them with Mukasa scoring 45 to break Kirunda's record of 32 league goals while Mubiru netted 25 goals.

SC Villa eventually defended the league title but lost to Mbale Heroes in the semi-finals of the Uganda Cup something that ended Mubiru's dream for a consecutive double.

At the end of the season, Express Chairman then Kirumira Godfrey courted Mubiru and eventually lured him to Wankulukuku in a transfer that shocked many Villa fans.

It is believed that "money bags" Kirumira had to cough over Shs 10 million for the services of the forward making him the most expensive player in the league at the time.

Following that transfer to Express FC, the Red eagles’ fans nicknamed him Luis Figo in reference to the Portuguese star who had crossed to rivals Real Madrid from Barcelona in what was the most expensive soccer transfer in the world at the time.

Real Madrid president Florentine Perez had engineered the move thus Kirumira getting the alias Perez.

Like the Barca fans hated Figo forever, most Villa fans even at the moment have never forgiven Mubiru.

At Wankulukuku, Mubiru joined a line up of stars that included James Odoch, Buwembo Ibrahim, Obwiny Phillip, Lwebuga Peter and custodian Kawalya Sam among others.

The centre forward was viewed as the man signed to move Express FC to greater heights and dethrone rivals SC Villa as the Kings of the game on the land.

However, it didn't happen in the 2000 season as Villa reclaimed the league and won the cup for a double.

In 2001, Express FC and Mubiru failed to dislodge Villa as the league champions but the forward helped the side to a Kakungulu Cup scoring a number of important goals including a brace in the 3-1 win over his former club SC Villa in the finals.