Zainah Nandede is the patron of Busamaga Red Stars, a community football club based in Busamaga Village, Mbale City. The club competes in the lower division of Uganda’s regional league and has become a beacon of hope for young people in the area. Busamaga Red Stars was born out of necessity and community vision. In a small village where unemployment and idleness had trapped several youths, football became more than a pastime.
It became a lifeline, according to Emmanuel Mudebo, the chief executive officer of the club.
‘The team was formed through the joint effort of parents, community members, and the youth. We believed that using sports would help curb some of the criminality by keeping the young men busy. Through the club, we discovered that we had real talent in the village,’ he reveals.
In the beginning, the club was an informal group of boys who played barefoot football on dusty open fields. They had no structure, funding, and vision. They only shared a love for the beautiful game. That changed, though, when Nandede became part of their story.
‘Nandede grew up playing football with some of us. Many of us learned the game alongside her. She had the same abilities and passion that we had,’ Mudebo adds.
Nandede’s resilience, humility, and unmatched talent quickly stood out. When the club later decided to formalise its operations and join the regional league, the community and players unanimously chose Nandede to be their patron – an extraordinary decision in a sport still dominated by men. ‘With the exposure she got through the schools she attended, she came back and showed us how best we could organise and form a team that would make an impact. She used her social network to bring in support, and since she was part of the founding idea, we felt it was only right to have her as our leader,’ Mudebo explains.
Turning vision into reality
When she assumed the patron role, Nandede saw more than just a football club – she saw a platform to inspire, empower, and transform, and immediately set out to help the team get officially registered and encouraged the players to adopt a more professional approach. ‘Whenever I returned to the village, I would train with them. But as you know, with village football, we only had one ball. If one of us kicked the ball and it went far, we had to wait for several minutes for someone to bring it back. So, I reached out to my friends in football to secure equipment, uniforms, and basic funding. I carried with me whenever I returned home,’ she says.
The club finally registered in the Eastern Regional League, a milestone that signalled a new chapter in Busamaga’s football journey. The young players now train regularly, play in organised matches, and have proper kits and balls. These are small but significant wins for a rural community team. ‘In the fourth division, these home games have always been expensive for us. However, Nandede has been stepping in financially to ensure that the team is transported and that the players have lunch,’ Mudebo says.
Abdrahman Nambale, a player, praises Nanded’s leadership style. ‘Even when she had only Shs1,000 on her, she would share it with us. Her rapid growth in football has made us proud as a team,’ he says. Aside from providing balls, lunch, and bibs, Nandede also started an initiative that has seen some members of the community take up leadership and coaching courses. One of the community members, a long-time football player, returned to school and attained a coaching certificate.
Star on the rise
Still, the journey has not been without challenges. Being a young woman, she has learned to lead the male-dominated team with actions, and not words. While her leadership off the pitch has been inspiring, Nandede’s prowess on the field is equally remarkable.
A forward for the Crested Cranes, Uganda’s senior women’s national team, she recently signed a two-year contract with Simba Queens, one of the top football clubs in Tanzania. Before that, the striker played for Kampala Queens Football Club, where she helped her side win two national league titles, including the most recent season.
Nandede’s story did not begin under bright stadium lights, though. It started in the dusty fields of Busamaga, with no kits, no scholarships, and no role models.
‘I started playing football when I was five years old. I was also an active player of volleyball and netball, and an athlete. At the time, girls in my community were not expected to play football, which was considered a preserve for boys,’ she says.
Nandede’s coach, Jovan Magino, noticed her exceptional speed and technique and encouraged her to train with the boys. Like many female footballers, her rise was met with skepticism and resistance, even from her mother. ‘She thought I might get carried away with sports and lose focus on my studies. At that time, most schools in Mbale District did not offer sports bursaries, especially at the primary level. For my secondary education, my mother enrolled me in a single-sex school in Mityana District, hoping that I would stop playing. However, I joined the school’s netball team,’ Nandede explains.
Fate intervened when Nkoma Secondary School, in Mbale District, introduced girls’ football. Nandede’s talent was undeniable – and it earned her a sports bursary. Her mother, seeing the benefits, gradually began to embrace her daughter’s dream. ‘She realised that some of her financial responsibilities would be reduced. My sister also got a sports bursary for playing netball. That made our mother very happy. In the 2017 UMEA Games, my performance caught the attention of the founder of Amus College School, who offered me a full scholarship until she completed her A-Level education,’ she says.
From that moment, her journey accelerated. She joined She Kataka Football Club, later moving to Kampala Queens Football Club, before eventually being signed with Simba Queens in Tanzania. Her national debut came in 2019 with the Uganda U-17 team, the Teen Cranes. ‘Coach Magino and Coach Ayub Khalifah Kiyingi encouraged me during that time. When I made the final squad, I was excited. When I left the camp, I had something to talk about back home,’ Nandede enthuses.
Her breakthrough into the Crested Cranes senior team came in 2022, while she was still with Kampala Queens. George Lutalo, the head coach, summoned her for the CECAFA Women’s Championship, hosted at the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru, Buikwe District – a tournament Uganda went on to win after beating Burundi 2-1 in the final.
Since then, Nandede has established herself as one of the Crested Cranes’ most reliable players. Last year, head coach Sheryl Botes appointed her as an assistant captain of the national side.
Giving back to her community
Football has given Nandede more than fame; it has given her purpose. She has used her success to uplift her family and community. With her earnings, she built a house for her mother in Masajja, Makindye Division. From her proceeds, she has also supported her siblings’ education and started businesses. But her ambitions go beyond personal success. Nandede hopes to establish a structured girls’ football academy in her home district – a place where girls can develop their skills without fear, stigma, or lack of opportunity.
She wants to ensure that the next generation of girls does not have to fight the same battles she did, especially with earning acceptance from their parents and guardians. Nandede is a living example of what happens when talent meets opportunity, and when leadership is driven by vision rather than gender. As Busamaga Red Stars continues its campaign in the regional league, the young players draw strength from her guidance. And if her journey so far is any indication, the story of this Mbale-born star is far from over.