Uganda 
population figures
Aged 0-14yrs - 46%
Aged 10-24yrs - 34.5%
Aged 15-64yrs - 52%
Aged 65+ - 2%
Life expectancy 64yrs
Phillip Omondi was born in 1957 in Tororo, and died 22 years ago while still in his early 40s. Up to 60% of Uganda's population today, were not yet born when he died in 1999.
Omondi is considered the greatest Ugandan player by everyone who was blessed to watch him play — a very small minority today — which explains why when MTN acquired 10 year naming rights for the KCCA FC stadium and renamed it the MTN Omondi Stadium, there wasn't as much euphoria across the country, as should have been.
The debate on who was the greatest between Omondi, Magid Musisi and others, is similar to the one between World Cup winners Pele, Mardona and others.
While that debate will never end, Abedi Pele described him as one of the best Africa has produced, when he visited Uganda in 2007.
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| Lord Mayor Lukwago and MTN officials at the official renaming ceremony for the Phillip Omondi stadium at Lugogo, in Kampala |
Omondi had many firsts, that makes him revered. First Ugandan top scorer at the Nations Cup finals, one of the first Ugandans to play professional football abroad etc etc....but for us in the Media, one of the first former top footballers to write a column for a newspaper in Uganda.
Omondi was that final piece as we at the New Vision Sports desk assembled a winning team to cover the 1998 World Cup in France. That team was to end up having in it newly recruited writer Kenneth Matovu (RIP), and Omondi (RIP), who had long retired.
We struck a deal, through another colleague, James Bakama, who also grew up in the Naguru estate that produced many spors legends and John 'The Beast' Mugabi, and the Omondis. Baks as we call him, would pick Omondi's hand written notes from Naguru, come type them on the typewriter, and I would edit.
That 1998 coverage must be the greatest ever in New Vision's history.
Not only did we have Phillip Omondi among our columnists, our main reporter Kenneth Matovu, at my prompting, wrote a block-buster of a preview to the World Cup, and we dared to say in our headline on the back page..... "Why France will win the World Cup"
The article run June 9th, a day before kick off and coincided with our weekly editorial committee meetings. Those meetings had several editors, including David Sseppuuya, former sports editor, and William Pike from the UK, who were very knowledgeable in matters sport. There were several anxious looks my end, since I was sports editor.
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Soon after the kick-off, I flew to Cardiff in the UK for a three month diploma in international journalism course. On July 12, 1998, I watched the final in my room, where a fight nearly ensued between me and my Brazil-supporting room mate from Malawi John Saini.
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That same day July 12, a month since Kenneth Matovu wrote his article, France won the World Cup by thrashing everyone's favourite Brazil - as if following his script letter for letter!
Omondi died a year later, and one of his last words to colleague and writer Hassan Badru Zziwa of The Observer, after he had been put on oxygen at Mulago, were “Go help me thank Ugandans for the love they have showed me.”
REST IN PEACE Omondi. Uganda will never forget you!
*******
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The 10-year deal gives MTN naming rights to the club’s home grounds at Lugogo
The stadium will now be renamed the MTN Omondi Stadium in honor of Philip Omondi, a legend that gave so much to football in Uganda.
The partnership reinforces MTN Uganda’s role in supporting football and sports in Uganda.
MTN Uganda and KCCA Football Club (KCCA FC) have today inked a ten year partnership that will give MTN naming rights to club’s home ground facility located at Lugogo, in the outskirts of the city centre.
Philip Omondi played for local side Kampala City Council FC from 1973 to 1988, when he moved to the United Arab Emirates to join Sharjah. Omondi played for the Uganda national football team at the 1974, 1976 and 1978 African Cup of Nations, where he was the leading goal-scorer, in the tournament that Uganda finished second. He also helped the team to the 1973 and 1977 CECAFA Cup titles. He later on coached some local football clubs.
: OmondiSeveral great footballers have come and gone. There was Majid Musisi, Paul Hasule and Jimmy Kirunda but John Phillip Omondi towers over them as the greatest. HASSAN BADRU ZZIWA reveals why:
There was hardly any euphoria when The Cranes opened their 1978 Nations Cup Group B match against Congo-Brazzaville.
In the eyes of the capacity crowd at the Kumasi Municipal Stadium, Uganda’s stout-built number15, John Phillip Omondi, was a non entity. After all, he had played in two previous tournaments (1974 & 1976) but had not created a big impact.
It took him just 45 seconds to open Uganda’s onslaught in a 3-1 win and followed up with the consolation goal against Tunisia in a 1-3 loss. [Several references however credit this goal to Sam Musenze]
Omondi became an instant hero in the last Group match against defending champions Morocco. Anything but a win would have eliminated Uganda and Omondi hammered in the final nail in a 3-0 win that sealed Morocco’s fate.
Few would have anticipated Omondi to be the tournament’s most feared striker. And to confirm his newfound status, Omondi single-handedly obliterated Nigeria in the 2-1 semi-final win.
“We also became spectators when he dribbled past the entire Nigerian defence and made goalie Emmanuel Okala dive three times before tapping into an empty net,” recalls former team-mate Tom Lwanga, who played in central defence in the tournament.
Uganda eventually finished runners-up behind Ghana but didn’t return empty handed as Omondi finished top-scorer with four goals.
Omondi magic
Omondi had the rare ability of scoring goals, creating them as well as the knack to crack any defence. As such he was dubbed the technician and soccer wizard.
He was so crafty that he could virtually do anything with the ball. At times he would make you think he had the ball tied to his boot laces. And when it came to head and chest control, he was unrivalled and his passes had a pin-point precision.
Former Cranes coach David Otti describes Omondi as a rare package. “Nobody can match his skills; I have never seen a player like him, he could transform a match in a flash,” he recalls.
On a visit to Uganda in 2007, Ghanaian football legend Abedi Pele described Omondi as one of his idols and one of the most talented footballers the continent has produced. Pele went as far as describing the admiration he had for Omondi when watching him at the 1978 Nations Cup..
Lwanga adds that Omondi was not a regular scorer. “All his goals were scored from within the penalty area after dribbling past defenders. And when he wasn’t scoring, he was making for others. That’s why most strikers who played alongside him emerged top scorers,” he says.
“You couldn’t know what he was going to do next because he was so unpredictable. He also loved learning new things and used to talk to his seniors like me how things are done,” says Polly Ouma a former Cranes star who played with Omondi in the 70s.
“He wasn’t the strongest of strikers and most times he avoided man markers,” says Ouma.
Who is Omondi
He was born to Kenyan parents in 1957 Tororo and the family moved to Naguru Housing Estates when he was still young. He went to St. Jude Primary School and later Kololo SS. Omondi’s first passion was boxing until he was frustrated by a judge’s decision during a local tournament. He decided to quit boxing.According to Lwanga, Omondi had been lured to boxing by his housemate and former national boxer Shadrack Odhiambo.
That’s when he decided to take on football. One day in 1969 when he was hanging around the Lugogo hostel, it happened that The Cranes had camped there before the CECAFA Cup preparations.
He awed Cranes coach Burkhard Pape and team Manager Andrew Wassaka Musoke with his ball juggling skills and soon became part of The Cranes during the 1969 Challenge Cup as a ball boy.
He joined Naguru Youth in 1970, then Fiat FC before KCC FC coach ‘Mister’ Bidandi Ssali spotted him in 1973 together with Tom Lwanga.
Buganda rejects Omondi
During the Inter Region competitions in 1973, Buganda’s Kezekia Segwanga Musisi lured the young Omondi to the Buganda team. But after a few training sessions, coach Robert Kiberu dropped him.
On his way home, a dejected Omondi met Northern Region coach David Otti who gave him a lifeline. “I played with him in the midfield during our training and I realised that he had a unique skill,” recalls Otti.
Omondi would later return to haunt Buganda in the final when he scored one of the goals that won Northern the Cup. He was also voted the best player of the tournament.
Omondi escape death
Omondi’s career was not all that smooth.
On April 10, 1976 during a league match, Omondi was severely injured after a collision with a Kilembe goalie Kikomeko. He suffered a ruptured pancreas and underwent three surgical operations; one of them at Mulago Hospital and another one in the England.
In that period, he was pronounced dead on at least two occasions, many experts ruled out his return to football.
But Omondi was not ordinary. He made a dramatic return on June 22, 1977 and featured in the KCC game against NIC and scored one of the three goals.
He also helped KCC win the 1978 East and Central Africa Club Championships in January in Kampala.
Professional
In 1979, after a successful Nations Cup, Omondi together with Lwanga and Jimmy Kirunda joined the paid ranks. He joined United Arab Emirates side Sharijah FC with Tom Lwanga joining Rasal Kharima and Jimmy Kirunda opted for Abu Dabi’s Imarati.
Another injury in 1981 cut short his UAE sojourn and in 1983, he quit professional football and returned back home.
Re-joined KCC
He rejoined KCC and helped the club win the 1983 and 1985 league titles plus the Kakungulu Cup in 1984 and 1987.
Unmatched Cranes career
It’s extraordinary that Omondi made it to The Cranes squad directly from the second division. That was after his outstanding show in the Inter Region tournament and was part of the team that won the CECAFA Cup in 1973. He also netted a brace on his debut against Somalia.
Between 1979 and 1982 he was in United Arab Emirates playing professional football. He returned in 1983 and rejoined The Cranes, scoring a hat-trick in 1986 when Uganda beat Kenya 3-1 to lift the Independence Cup.
In 1987, he scored twice in the Nations Cup qualifier against Somalia and also scored in both ties between Uganda and Cameroon in the next round. The Cranes however failed to make it and Omondi quit the national team.
Coaching
In 1987, Omondi was among the ten upcoming coaches who went to Germany for a coaching course. Upon return he played again for KCC and quit the club at the end of the season. He coached Bank of Uganda for a few months and also had a coaching stint with KCC in 1992 before completely retiring from football.
His death
It’s no secret that one of Omondi’s best friends was alcohol; he was so addicted that he used to leave bars in the wee hours of the morning. On April 20, 1999, he was admitted at Mulago Hospital where he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. “Go help me thank Ugandans for the love they have showed me,” Omondi who was put on oxygen told me in a faint voice. Sadly he passed away the following day at 5:30a.m. and was buried at Maile village, Gayaza in Wakiso District.
That was Omondi, the greatest. But despite all of his achievements, there is virtually nothing apart from records to show that Omondi ever played football.
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