Uganda's living African football legend: Jimmy Kirunda.

During the fifteen years of his service in the national team, Kirunda played in five (5) consecutive Africa Cup of Nations tournaments: 1) 1970 qualifiers against DRC, 2) 1972 qualifiers, Uganda against, Sudan and Kenya, 3) 1974 finals in Cairo after beating Algeria in 1973, 4) 1976 finals in Addis Ababa and 5) 1978 finals in Accra Ghana where Uganda were runners up. In three of these tournaments i.e.1974, 1976 and 1978 Kirunda was the Captain of the Uganda team. This makes him the only Ugandan who has captained the national team to the highest number of finals of Africa Cup of Nations tournament and certainly the only African player who has participated in the highest number of times of the same tournament.
The highest level Uganda has reached in the African Cup of Nations bid is runners up in the 1978 Accra Ghana finals.
Being the man that captained the Cranes in the above encounters in Africa’s most prestigious football tournament and subsequently to the most memorable Ugandan feat in Accra, makes Kirunda the only living Ugandan football legend which all Ugandans and Africans at large are pround of.

On the local scene, Kirunda’s record of top scorer (32 goals) in the national league of 1978 stood for a good twenty years up to 1998 not withstanding the fact that, Kirunda for the entire time in the national team was a defender, the best Uganda has ever had so far. It is also worth recalling that it was the same Kirunda in the dying minutes of the game against Ethiopia in 1977 that scored the goal that made the Cranes qualify for the finals in Accra.

In addition to the above accolades, Mr. Kirunda served as the Cranes Team Manager 1989-1996 making him the longest serving manager Ugandan Cranes has ever had. During his tenure Uganda lifted the CACAFA cup in 1989 and1990 after a period of twelve years.

Jimmmy Kirunda heads the UgaSport Magazine publishing team and through his column in the UganSport Magazine: The legends diary, he shares his detailed football experiences both as a player and manager of the Ugandan national side - The Cranes.