George “Best” Nsimbe’s stay at CATIDA FC has ended as quickly as it began. The FUFA Big League newcomers have opted for change after back to back defeats to Kiyinda Boys and Bunyaruguru left them just two points above the relegation zone.
Nsimbe and his assistant Hamidu Kibirango have both been relieved of their duties.
Appointed in August, Nsimbe arrived with an impressive CV—KCCA, Vipers, Maroons, Kyetume, The Saints and Victors at home, plus spells at Tusker in Kenya and Azam in Tanzania.
But experience could not halt a worrying slide. As early promise faded, CATIDA’s leadership chose to act, determined to safeguard their place in professional football.
With Nsimbe gone, attention has quickly shifted to Simon “Dunga” Ddungu. The club is reportedly trying to lure one of Uganda’s most trusted promotion specialists to guide them through a tense survival battle.
The timing suits both sides. The 2025 Masaza Cup has ended, freeing Ddungu for a new challenge.
This time, however, the task would be different, not pushing a club up, but keeping one afloat. It is a test of whether his proven methods can deliver stability as well as ascent.
Ddungu’s reputation has been built in grassroots football. He has enjoyed Masaza Cup success with Buddu and Gomba and led clubs such as Ntugasaze FC, Kiyinda Boys and Mbale Heroes into the FUFA Big League.
His teams are known for clear structure, attacking intent and strong unity qualities CATIDA believe they now desperately need.
For CATIDA, the goal is no longer dreaming big but surviving smart. In Ddungu, they see a coach shaped by growth and organisation, someone capable of steadying the ship.
If the move goes through, it would be more than a simple coaching change. It would reinforce the idea that grassroots success is a valid route to top level coaching and for CATIDA, a calculated gamble to stay afloat in unfamiliar waters.
