St Mark High School Kayunga have confirmed the appointment of Masaza Cup-winning tactician Felix Ssekabuuza as their new football coach, handing the school one of the biggest technical boosts in the Mukono Zone ahead of the 2026 qualifiers scheduled to kick off in February.
Ssekabuuza arrives on the back of a historic run with Buweekula, whom he guided to their first Masaza Cup title since 2004 with a 1-0 victory over Ssingo at the refurbished Hamz Stadium Nakivubo. Days after the triumph, he announced his departure, saying he had ‘nothing more to offer’ the side after completing a task that had eluded them for 21 years. With no team able to defend the Masaza title for more than two decades, the coach may have sensed the right moment to seek a new challenge.
His move to St Mark signals the school’s growing ambition as they attempt to transform an improving football programme into a team capable of breaking into the Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Associations (USSSA) national championship.
Mukono, where qualifying is a war
The Mukono region is one of the toughest battlegrounds for USSSA qualification, with a handful of traditional powerhouses routinely taking the limited slots.
Mukono Kings, Quality High School Buikwe, St Julian Seta, Namagabi SS, Latifah Mixed Kabimbiri and Mehta SS have dominated the allocations, leaving emerging schools fighting for scraps.
St Mark have reached the Mukono Zone qualifiers in each of the past three seasons but failed to go beyond the latter rounds. Last year, they bowed out at the quarterfinal stage after a narrow 1-0 loss to Mehta SS.
School officials believe Ssekabuuza’s experience could finally tip the balance in their favour.
‘He has just won a trophy that had eluded Buweekula for 21 years. That kind of mentality, coming from underdogs and achieving something big, is exactly what our boys need,’ said Aaron Bukenya, the school director.
Seeking a fresh environment
Ssekabuuza also walks into his new job with the personal motivation of re-establishing his coaching identity. He is understood to have grown frustrated at St Julian Seeta, a school he guided to its maiden USSSA boys’ football crown in Masaka in 2024.
But last season, St Julian let several key players leave without strengthening the squad, a decision that deeply disappointed him and contributed to his decision to explore opportunities elsewhere.
At St Mark, he is expected to oversee the senior team under a two-year contract, with a mandate to build a competitive unit capable of surpassing the traditional giants.
‘My job is to build belief, sharpen their organisation and push them to compete beyond the zone,’ Ssekabuuza said.
With Ssekabuuza’s arrival, St Mark now believe that the gap between dreaming and qualifying may finally begin to narrow.