When Badru Kaddu walked into Nec’s dressing room on Saturday as their new head coach, he knew he was inheriting more than just a team in transition.
He was taking charge of a club desperate for direction – one craving both results and an identity worthy of its growing ambitions.
His first outing ended in a 1-1 draw with Bul at Lugogo, a result that extended the visitors’ unbeaten run to 25 games but also offered Kaddu a realistic snapshot of the task ahead.
Nec’s spirited start under their new boss hinted at promise. They pressed high, moved the ball quickly, and deservedly led in the 27th minute when Joseph Dhata reacted fastest to turn in a rebound after Marvin Kavuma’s header had come off the post from a Mustafa Kizza free-kick.
But a lapse just before halftime undid the momentum – goalkeeper Samson Kirya misjudging Jerome Kirya’s tame header to gift Bul an equaliser.
Despite flashes of the high-tempo football Kaddu wants, Nec faded in the second half, creating few clear chances. For the tactician with strict attention to detail, however, it was a platform to build on.
More to come
‘Like any coach, I wanted to work with a big club with big ambitions,’ Kaddu said post-match.
‘Nec wants to win trophies, and I share that purpose. The idea is to lift the standards and play the beautiful football style that the club desires. Football requires time and trust, and I believe these boys will get it right.’
Kaddu, who replaced Hussein Mbalangu, arrives with a clear mandate: to shift Nec from being a pragmatic, results-first side into one that expresses itself with tactical fluidity and creative intent.
Sitting 12th on six points, the club’s hierarchy hopes the former Express coach will inject a fresh philosophy after a sluggish start to the campaign.
His own career adds a compelling subplot. Once a respected assistant at KCCA, Kaddu now has the chance to stamp his authority as a head coach – and Nec presents both opportunity and pressure.
His immediate challenge is another baptism of fire: after the international break, Nec visit SC Villa at Kadiba, a team in rich form under the tactically astute Zeljko Kovacevic.
Kaddu, though, welcomes the challenge. ‘Nec are supposed to be up there, not below,’ he asserted. ‘We shall work on the winning mentality and show that we can compete with the best.’
For now, Kaddu’s first point in charge may not have thrilled his ambitious employers, but it has laid the foundation for a possible transformation – from physical and reactive to purposeful and expressive.
StarTimes Uganda Premier League
November 20
SC Villa vs. Nec, 8pm