It takes a leap of faith to cross from Namiti Island on Lake Victoria to the Masese landing site in Jinja. The boats that make that journey are often unlicensed, overloaded and beaten by years of water and sun but for many, hope is far stronger than fear.
It was that same hope that pushed Richard Okello Sr. and his wife Jessica Namuko to leave Namiti, part of the Buvuma Islands group, to seek a future on the mainland.
Bare feet, big dreams
Years later, on those same dusty shores where fishmongers call out prices and children chase tyres for play, their son Richard Okello began chasing a ball.
He played barefooted, without proper gear but with an engine of belief that matched the restless heartbeat of his surroundings. Masese, by extension, is part of the larger football-mad Walukuba estate, a place where talent finds a way to breathe even when resources are scarce.
Now, maybe this past may be forgotten but on Wednesday at 8.45pm, history will remember a special moment. That, Uganda will be debuting at a Fifa World Cup tournament and at the front of it all is that boy from Masese named Richard Okello.
He will go into history as the first-ever captain of a Ugandan team at a World Cup when he guides the Uganda Cubs onto the pitch in Al Rayyan, Qatar to take on Canada on Wednesday night. Uganda is in group K with Canada, Chile and France.
‘I grew up in Masese but it is a tough place,’ Okello recalls in this interview. At Masese, Okello joined one of the rapidly growing but under-resourced football academies to start his journey.
‘We lacked equipment and proper facilities but I wanted to play. Sometimes it was hard because you feel you want to do something but you don’t have enough.’
Opportunity knocks
Hardships didn’t discourage Okello instead, they sharpened him.
His breakthrough came when he was spotted by Coach Boban Tamale, now head coach at Jinja SSS, who took him to Lugazi Community School where he could combine football and education under a scholarship to complete his primary level.
Okello’s talent began to attract attention and was later awarded another scholarship at Lweru SS in Buikwe for his Senior One. But it was during a local but famous street tournament Zein Cup organized by Jinja’s politician and philanthropist Abdallah Zein that fortune knocked again.
‘A scout called Coach Abbey [Kakumirizi] came after a match. I didn’t even know he was watching but I scored and assisted. He told me I played well and wanted me to join their academy. I was scared because I thought I would find many challenges there. But I went.’
Fear turned into opportunity as the famous El Cambio Academy in Masaka became part of his family in 2020. Okello knows what he wants and how he wants. A disagreement over his position forced him to leave the academy.
‘There was a misunderstanding because the coaches thought he would be better as a defensive midfielder but he preferred an advanced role,’ his first coach and mentor Boban Tamale told Daily Monitor.
Okello decided to move back Jinja and joined Jinja Progressive and has captained the two big wins over city rivals Jinja SSS and carried them to the nationals as captain.
Captain of a nation
Through the partnership that the school has with Uganda premier League side Bul, Okello joined the club’s Junior Team and immediately rose to its captaincy.
Okello has captained Bul to back-to-back Fufa Junior League titles in 2023 and 2024 as he swept the most valuable player of the tournament award on both occasions.
Before that, his national team stars had started shining. In October 2022, he was summoned to the Uganda Cubs under coach Hamza Lutalo.
Okello scored his debut and only goal in a 4-0 win over Burundi but unfortunately, the team failed to qualify for Afcon U-17 2023 losing to Somali in the semis.
He was summoned to the Uganda Rhinos (U-15) for the Cecafa U-15 2023 scoring two goals but the team lost to Zanzibar in the final.
That was just a setback but didn’t drag Okello behind as he was called to the Cecafa U-18 two months later in December and captained the team to victory in Kisumu, Kenya.
Now, football has stars. And then it has symbols, those players whose journey mirrors the dreams of their nation. Okello is both. His captaincy at the Fifa U-17 World Cup will forever define his young career.
‘First of all, I would like to thank God because it is not easy to be a captain because it is not common to everyone,’ the soft-spoken but agile forward says softly, almost humbled by his own reality.
Pressure? He’s known worse
Many players crumble under the World Cup spotlight but pressure isn’t new to Okello because he has known mornings without breakfast and evenings without boots.
He has known the weight of expectation in Afcon U-17 qualifiers, failed once but rose to captain the nation to the world. But above all, his experience playing for Bul and the several international tournaments.
‘I think the club has pressure and I’m learning how to handle it from my older teammates,’ he smiles. Okello made his debut at Bul in February 2023 aganst SC Villa in Uganda Cup. He has appeared 20 times for the senior team, scoring one goal.
Brotherhood
Okello did not score a goal in the Afcon but is not shaken.
‘I didn’t score but I put in work a little more and created some opportunities to score. But I still believe that I can score.’ That maturity and refusal to panic is rare at 17.
Beyond his own ambitions, Okello’s brotherhood with one of his best friends James Bogere drives him. His link-up play with Bogere, the team’s most dependable striker, fuels Uganda Cub’s attack.
‘My partnership with James is not new,’ Okello laughs. ‘We grew up together and he is like my brother. I know his movemen and his abilities. I know what makes him happy or sad so, it simplifies my work.’
‘We are aiming to reach a high level and as a person, I want to leave a legacy behind. I want to perform very well and also I want to play professional football abroad,’ He concludes before laying back on his seat to reflect.
In summary
Okello: Island boy ? slum dreamer ? dusty academy warrior ? MVP Fufa Junior? Cecafa U18 winning captain ? senior league footballer ? Afcon qualifier ? Uganda’s first captain at a World Cup.
Player profileName: Richard OkelloDate of Birth: March 27, 2008District: JinjaStrong foot: RightPosition: ForwardClub: Bul FC Junior TeamSchool: Jinja Progressive AcademyFavourite Player: Isma MugulusiHobbies: Listening to musicAcademy: Amerigo SA, El Cambio SA, Masese SAFamous Quote: Only God KnowsFavourite Food: Rice, sweet potatoes, ChickenJersey Number: 11 Uganda Cubs scheduleNovember 5: Canada vs. UgandaNovember 8: Uganda vs. ChileNovember 11: Uganda vs. France