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Five greatest Ugandan players in PSL history

football08 July 2020 07:35| © Backpage TXT
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Denis Onyango © Backpagepix

Mamelodi Sundowns star Denis Onyango will go down in history as one of the best goalkeepers to have ever played in the PSL.

The Uganda captain arrived in South Africa in 2006 which was two years after his compatriot Timothy Batabaire had joined Bloemfontein Celtic.

Since then we have seen some incredibly talented footballers from the East African country grace the turf of PSL stadiums over the years.

We take a look at the top five greatest Ugandan players in the history of the South African top-flight league:

Posnet Omony

The retired goalkeeper arrived in South Africa in 2005 after agreeing to join Bloemfontein Celtic and he quickly became a fan-favourite.

Omony played an integral role in helping Phunya Sele Sele clinch the SAA Supa 8 Cup (MTN8) in his debut season - keeping a clean sheet in the final against SuperSport United.

Known for his imposing physique and agility, the former Uganda international spent two successive seasons on loan at Black Leopards and Vasco Da Gama between 2008 and 2010.

Omony parted ways with Celtic in 2010 and he had permanent spells with Vasco and Leopards, before hanging up his boots in 2015 following a stint with ABC Motsepe League club Roses United.

David Obua

The former Uganda international had a successful stay at Kaizer Chiefs between 2005 and 2008 having joined the club from Ugandan side Express FC.

Obua made an instant impact at Amakhosi as he scored his first goal in the Soweto Derby clash against Orlando Pirates on 29 October 2005 in his debut season in the PSL.

A versatile player, who could play as a left-back and left-winger, Obua then helped Amakhosi cinch the Absa Cup (Nedbank Cup) and SAA Supa 8 Cup in 2006 as one of the key players.

The 2005/06 Kaizer Chiefs Player of the Year also won the Telkom Knockout Cup with Amakhosi in his final season (2007/08) with the club and he was snapped up by Scottish side Hearts.

Timothy Batabaire

The former Uganda vice-captain is best remembered for his time with Bloemfontein Celtic having joined the club following a spell with Serbian outfit OFK Nis in 2004.

Batabaire spent five solid seasons with Phunya Sele Sele and he played an instrumental role in helping the team clinch the 2005 SAA Supa 8 Cup and he captained the Free State giants.

The tough-tackling central defender moved to Bidvest Wits in 2009 and he was one of their key players as they clinched the 2010 Nedbank Cup in his first season with the club.

Batabaire left Bidvest Wits at the end of the 2011/12 season and he had stints with Vasco Da Gama and Garankuwa United in the National First Division (NFD) before retiring in 2015.

Geoffrey Massa

The Ugandan legend was a journeyman during his time in South Africa having first arrived in the country in 2007 when he joined Jomo Cosmos.

Massa moved to Egyptian side Itesalat following Cosmos' relegation to the National First Division (NFD) in 2008, but he returned to the PSL in 2013 after signing for the University of Pretoria.

Known for his physical strength, Massa was a reliable goalscorer during his time with AmaTuks as he scored 13 times in 49 Absa Premiership games during his two seasons with the club.

Massa had short spells with Bloemfontein Celtic and Baroka FC in the PSL between 2015 and 2017 before he left the country for Turkish Cypriot club Yenicami Agdelen.

Denis Onyango

The accomplished goalkeeper's first South African club was SuperSport United having joined the club from Ethiopian giants Saint George in 2006.

Onyango won three successive Absa Premiership titles with Matsatsantsa between 2008 and 2010 before he spent the 2010/11 season with Mpumalanga Black Aces and he was then signed by Mamelodi Sundowns in August 2011.

An imposing shot-stopper with great reflex saves, Onyango spent the 2013/14 season on loan at Bidvest Wits from Sundowns, and upon his return to the club, he became the first-choice goalkeeper.

The 2015/16 PSL Goalkeeper of the Season has played a vital role in helping Sundowns clinch three Absa Premiership titles, two Telkom Knockout Cups, Nedbank Cup, CAF Champions League and CAF Super Cup.

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