By: Kayiira Jackson
It’s a dream for every athlete to don his or her national team colours in the sport career but many have touching stories and experience of the national teams.
In her football career, she started in 2015 after quitting Netball, Hadija Nalongo, the current She Corporate FC custodian won’t forget the day she was cut off the National team squad that was 24 hours prior to traveling to Morocco for Women Africa Cup of Nations.
Speaking to this website, the diploma graduate (Business Administration) from Uganda Christian University – Mukono narrated the ordeal of football and how the national team traumatized her to the extent of quitting football, thanks to parental advise Nalongo received from coach Christian Magoba.
“I was summoned for national team duties seven times.” Nalongo recalls.
“Before they were cutting me off, and majestically walk back to campus minus any disturbance, but the 2022 CECAFA and WAFCON campaigns challenged me too much.” She states.
For starters, Uganda hosted the CECAFA women senior cup at FIFA technical centre in Njeru in 2022 and in the same year Uganda was to feature in the 2022 Morocco WAFCON Cup. Nalongo who had a good season in the FUFA Women Super League for UCU, she was summoned for national duty (Crested Cranes), the goalkeeping department had four players; Hadijah Nalongo, Daisy Nakaziro, Ruth Aturo and Juliet Adeke.
“For CECAFA, I and Adeke never made the final squad but again we were not released from the camp, we used to sit in the pavilion during the matches, but remember I had the on semister at campus, I asked coach [George Lutalo] to let me go, he refused citing that at UCU, i don’t have a goalkeeping coach.”
“After CECAFA, we switched to WAFCON camp, others we cut off but again, they kept me in camp, they measured me for the traveling kit but on the last day of training camp, they cut me after spending almost three months in camp.” Crying Nalongo narrated.
“I reached at campus when the semister is almost ending, I was knowing nothing but I had to do the exams, since I had friends, some helped me to do course work, some I paid, I missed one paper, that I did the following year.” She added.
“I tell you, I felt, I was tired of football, I cried, I spent almost a month minus going to pitch, coach Mago [Christian Magoba took me to his home, talked to me for almost five hours, surely that was a trauma to me but later I gained and returned to pitch.”
Family life:
The lanky goalkeeper who hails from Nakaloke, Mbale District in Eastern Uganda, is a daughter of Omoding Yusuf and Agutu Mariam, the family is of Six children, three boys and three girls and Nalongo is the fifth child.
Like any other parents, they never wanted their daughter to playe football because she was a netballer before.
“My parents didn’t love the game of soccer and they really didn’t believe that even girls have the potential to play football.” Nalongo.
“My father was tough when it comes to leaving home and go for training. All my brothers once played football and the other brother of mine Seku Rajabu was my stepping stone for me to play soccer.”
Education Journey:
Nalongo had her elementary education at Nakaloke primary school- Mbale district where she sat her PLE in 2013, later joined Nakaloke Secondary school- Mbale district in 2014, switched to Highway Secondary School in Sironko district in 2015 to 2016, before joining St. Noa Girls Secondary School – Zzana-Entebbe Road in 2017 where she acquired the UCE and UACE certificates in 2017 and 2019 respectively.
In 2020 Nalongo joined Uganda Christian University- Mukono District where she acquired a diploma in Business Administration in 2023.
Football Journey:
The 24-year-Old custodian was a netball player before she picked interest in football in 2015.
“In 2015, there was a young girl called Namaganda Zaituna currently playing for Kampala Queens FC who used to pass by our home every morning when going for training, It was one morning I stopped her on the road side and asked her whether she can allow me join her, she wasn’t a bad person, she talked to her coach [Bulolo Shaban] who allowed me” She said.
“I was a netballer at Nakaloke secondary school and believed that since I can grab balls, I can also dive for balls and after coach talking about scholarship I had to go back home and convince my parents.”
In a few days of training, Highway secondary school- Sironko gave Nalongo a full sports scholarship.
When the school represented the region in USSSA ball games one held in Masindi in 2016, Nalongo got four schools that lured her.
“In nationals held in Masindi, there were more than four schools which got interest in my career, so I decided to choose one school called St. Noa girls’ secondary school -Zzana.”
From there she played for UCU for two seasons before joining She Corporate in 2024.
Profile:
Name: NALONGO HADIJAH
Nickname: Shanania
Date of Birth: 26th/December/2000
Place of Birth [Village]: Nakaloke-Mbale
Mother’s name:Agutu Mariam
Father’s name:Omoding Yusuf
Position: Goalkeeper
Strong Foot: Right
Weight: 63kgs
Height:175ft
Shirt no. 13
Previous Clubs:
UCU Lady Cardinals [2020-23]
Current Club:
She Corporate FC [2024-todate]
Role Model: Arturo Ruth
Best players played with: Ikwaputi Fazira and Arturo Ruth
Credited people; Coach Bulolo Shaban, Mr Ssentumbwe William and Coach Magoba Christian
Achievements: Diploma in Business Administration [Education], National Team Summons, Golden Gloves in World University Games.
Best Moments in football: When I was the best goalkeeper in Russia 2023 in World University games held in Yekaterinburg and being the best goalkeeper in Uganda Women’s Cup 2024 in Uganda
Worst Moment: When I was injured in super league 2022 by Rines player from Kabaka Kyabagu stadium and I was the only goalkeeper for UCU Lady cardinals, When I was dropped from the team the played CECAFA in Njeru and AFCON in Morocco in 2022 then i was left behind after spending over two good months in the national team camp, I had to go back to campus but found when the semester was almost ending.
Ambitions: To play professional football.
Youth Football Career:
Highway SS 2015-2016
St Noa Girls Secondary School 2017-2019
Senior career (Club level)
UCU Lady Cardinals 2020-2023
She Corporate 2024-todate
National Team Caps:
Seven summons, no cap
