NEC FC’s promising rise in Ugandan football has hit a turbulent patch, with off-field controversy and injuries threatening to derail their momentum early in the 2025/26 campaign.
The club, which only last season stunned many by finishing second in the Uganda Premier League, now finds itself grappling with leadership instability after head coach Hussein Mbalangu is sidelined for two months. His suspension, officially linked to “professional and ethical misconduct,” comes amid growing discontent following NEC’s shock elimination from the CAF Confederation Cup and a winless league start.
Sources close to the club suggest that Mbalangu’s suspension was triggered by his involvement in the Masaza Cup, where he has been serving on Ssingo’s technical bench a move that allegedly contravened club policy and created friction within NEC’s hierarchy.
In the meantime, former Express coach James Odoch has stepped into the hot seat, taking charge of preparations ahead of Saturday’s league clash against Entebbe UPPC FC at Bugonga Fisheries Grounds.
However, the technical shake-up is not NEC’s only setback. The club has also confirmed that key defender Jacob Okao will be out for up to a year after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon during the 2-2 draw with Police FC. The centre-back underwent successful surgery at Case Clinic under the FUFA Medical Insurance Scheme, but his absence leaves a massive gap in NEC’s backline, with only Ibrahim Kiyemba, Warren Bbuule, and David Bayiga available.
For a team once praised for discipline, structure, and rapid progress, the current crisis paints a different picture. From continental disappointment to dressing room unease, NEC’s resilience will now be tested both on and off the pitch as they aim to rediscover the form that made them last season’s biggest revelation.
