Gasogi United head coach Paul Kiwanuka has promised to maintain the club’s winning mentality in an attempt to keep them in the race for the 2022/23 Rwanda Premier League title.
Gasogi sit second on the table with 35 points, just two points adrift of table leaders APR FC.
Kiwanuka’s men could leapfrog the military side to the top spot should they beat Rutsiro FC on Friday at Bugesera Stadium.
But no matter the gap to the top, the Ugandan has warned rivals that his side is no longer a ‘punching bag’ like it had been during the previous seasons.
"Gasogi United is not a punching bag anymore, we are in the league to compete and so far we are on the right track of building a strong and winning team,” Kiwanuka told Times Sport.
The tactician had a significant impact to the club’s incredible form in the league since his arrival, changing its status from a mid-table team to title contenders.
He proved that he was the right man that club proprietor Charles Nkuria Kakooza (KNC) has been waiting for, after his predecessors including the likes of Guy Bukasa, Andre Casa Mbungo and Ahmed Adel failed to meet his expectations.
Since Kiwanuka’s appointment in November, Gasogi has only been moving forward pushing to cement its spot in the class of elites.
They climbed to second last weekend after AS Kigali lost to Police FC 2-1 and they only want to rob the summit from APR as the title race hots up with 11 match days remaining.
For Kiwanuka, the title is too early to decide but he remains convinced that Gasogi have at least shown their title credentials. He now wants his players to be consistent in order to remain in the marathon race for the title.
"We have done well since I joined Gasogi United this season, but I want my players to keep the same spirit for the rest of the season. The past matches were very important to us for sure. We need to continue winning as many matches as possible,” he said.
Winning mentality, character and attitude are among key aspects that Kiwanuka instilled in his players since he arrived at the club.
The players’ hunger for glory has also been on the rise under the tactician as they want to collect as many points as possible in order to keep pace with the league leaders and maintain a tight challenge for the title until the last minute.
"I changed the character of the players, their responsibility on and off the pitch. It is about respecting football, being a professional at work,” he explained.
"I want our supporters to believe in us and the players to believe in themselves, I want Gasogi United to compete for the trophies because we are capable of doing that,” he stated
Agenda 2026?
Kiwanuka has high hopes and has what it takes to finish at their best place ever in the table this season but admits his ultimate goal is to guide the ‘Lions’ to the league title for the first time before 2026.
It’s, however, an agenda that he admits it’s "too early to start talking about” as long as his future at the club is concerned.
"We cannot start talking about winning the title this early in the season but we are contenders for sure because we are in the top two, but there is still a long way to go. We have played only 18 games and the remaining 12 games will be even tougher,” he explained.
Gasogi’s confidence to fight for the league title has been growing day after day and match after match. The club has established itself as a dark horse before big teams after beating the likes of Rayon Sports, Police and Kiyovu in the first leg among other big teams.
Three years ago, Gasogi United were an ordinary team that was either finishing in the mid-table or even fighting to avoid relegation.
This season has been pretty different for the team that finished the first round of Rwanda Premier League sitting fourth, two points behind table leaders AS Kigali and Kiyovu, an indication of how far they have gone to prove their title credentials.