Steven Dese Mukwala: Asante Kotoko announce signing of Ugandan International from URA
Asante Kotoko have officially completed the signing of Ugandan International Steven Mukwala from Ugandan Revenue Authority after announcing the deal on their official twitter handle.
The Ghana Premier League champions had a breakthrough in the deal last week after Ugandan top sports journalist Desire Derekford Mugumisa disclosed a 2-year deal of his twitter account.
The Ugandan International arrived in Ghana on Tuesday to complete his medicals the day and signed a 2-year deal at the Garden City club.
The club have announced the transfer on their twitter handle that reads, “The Ugandan joins us on a free transfer for a period of two years with an option to extend for a further year”.
Mukwala’s Kotoko link
Kotoko have been in the market since its opening amid strengthening their squad for the Caf Champions League- in September. But the Ghanaian side is thought to embark on rebuilding exercise instead of reinforcement after majority of their first team players linked with a move away from Kumasi Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
Danlad Ibrahim- national and first choice goalkeeper together with the likes of Imoro Ibrahim, Augustine Agyapong, Franck Thierry Etouga Mbella, George Mfegue and Samuel Boateng are understood to have bids from European clubs submitted for them.
Meanwhile, super star and former Club Sportif Sfaxien midfielder Mudasiru Salifu has already completed an undisclosed transfer fee move to Moldovan side FC Sheriff helping them in their recent UEFA Champions League games.
Brazilian play-maker Fabio Gama has also joined Bahraini side Al-Muharraq SC while the future of Richmond Lamptey remains unclear after been hit with a 2-and-half year banned for involving in match fixing during his days at Inter Allies.
The injuries of Justice Blay and last season’s most utilized man Sherif Mohammed means the two midfielders will miss at least first round of the season as youngster Clinton Opoku has been ruled out of the yet to be started campaign.
With almost the first team set to be collapsed due the these circumstances, a host of players have been pursuit in return of the rebuilding, and one of them appears to be Ugandan goal-poacher Steven Mukwala.
Mukwala was first linked with the Ghanaian side last two seasons but inability to reach agreement with parent club Vipers SC despite a breakthrough in personal terms hampered the deal with Ugandan Revenue Authority Kampala then sealing a move for the center forward in October 2020.
Mukwala, who had been on in-and- flow loan deal between Vipers and Maroons FC between 2017 and 2019 rose to prominence in Ugandan football after netting 13 goals to become one of the league’s top scorers in 2018-2019 season.
In January 2017, it was announced that Mukwala would be joining Vipers SC top flight club in Uganda, Vipers SC in what was reported to be an initial a great deal taking him from Masaza football to champions of Ugandan football Vipers.
In 2018, Mukwala was called up for the Uganda U23 National Team to play against Ghana and Cameroon where he scored one goal and was also part of the Uganda Squad that took part in the COSAFA Championships in Lesotho and he managed to help Uganda finish 3rd behind Egypt having scored 3 goals.
Mukwala was part of the Vipers Squad that won the Azam Uganda Premier League and was much in the plans of Miguel Da Costa the coach of Vipers by then who had built trust in him after scoring crucial goals for the team in the quest for the title of 2017.
Last season, Mukwala helped Uganda Revenue Authority to a third place, bagged in 2 goals out of 3 Caf Confederation games to maintain interest from prospective clubs including Asante Kotoko who nearly announced a deal for the attacker at a point last term. The 23-year old reportedly entered into transfer talks with Kotoko months ago knowing that his URA contract expires in June 2022 with ambition to seek new challenge in his career.
Mukwala’s club and national team experience will help Kotoko in their Africa campaign that has become the top most priority heading into next season.
