On Friday, May 31st, 2024, NEC FC held their end-of-season dinner at Royal Suites Hotel, Bugoloobi, where the Club Patron and Managing Director of the National Enterprise Corporation, Lt. Gen. James Mugira, was the guest of honor.
Arriving in full military uniform, the General was received and welcomed by the club Chairman and General Manager of NEC Works, Eng. Brian Buhanda, as the evening kicked off with anthems before dinner and speeches began.
The Club Captain, Kavuma Marvin, gave remarks, ending with heartfelt thanks to the management for their great support throughout the season. The Head Coach then thanked his technical team, playing staff, members of the media, and the board of directors led by the Club Chairman. He expressed his dissatisfaction at not being able to present a trophy to the club patron this season and aired his commitment to fulfilling this goal next season.
The Club Chairman, in his speech, noted that this event was to give an account of the season-long journey the club has been on since September 2023 when the season started. He highlighted the club’s ability to challenge the status quo, finishing 6th in the UPL while being runners-up in the Stanbic Uganda Cup. He later introduced and thanked the sponsors and donors, including Oriental Ventures, Muhick, Sodolin, among others.
The Club Chairman called upon the Patron to give a speech. However, before delivering his speech, and accompanied by the Chairman, he handed over a token of thanks to all the members of the football club.
In his speech, the Patron began by highlighting how close he was to missing the event, saying, “I thought I would miss this, but thankfully I am here. As you can see, I am in this attire; I couldn’t take any chances.”
He further thanked the club for their remarkable performance, noting how their achievements had made a significant mark on the country’s football landscape. He highlighted their accomplishment of being runners-up in the Stanbic Uganda Cup and finishing 6th in the StarTimes UPL. He said, “When you entered the UPL, many didn’t think you would last the season. However, we believed in you, and your performance was outstanding, surprising many teams that underestimated you. You proved you are a force to be reckoned with. You might not have won the cup, but as a new team moving from the Big League to the top flight and finishing 6th, it was a great performance.”
He continued, “As I promised, and as Eng. Brian has pointed out, I thought it was important to provide a very comfortable means of transport for our team, so we got you a very comfortable bus to ease the team’s movement. I don’t have much to say tonight, but I can promise that we will continue mobilizing support as NEC, with our friends, to build a better team next season. And as promised by our indomitable head coach Mbalangu, we will strive to be the best. As we see you off for a short break, don’t relax because the league will be back around August. Thank you so much. Good evening.”
After his speech, the Managing Director officially handed the bus to Head Coach Hussein Mbalangu and Team Captain Kavuma Marvin, marking the conclusion of the event.