How Relationships, Smart Negotiations Sealed Hassan Mubiru’s Shs600 Million Transfer

By Kayiira Jackson 

When Tanzanian Premier League side Azam FC unveiled Ugandan winger Hassan Mubiru on July 20, 2026, many football followers were left wondering what made the 21-year-old worth an estimated Shs600 million (about US$160,000).

For a player with fewer than three seasons of top-flight football, no senior Uganda Cranes cap and just one outstanding Uganda Premier League campaign to his name, the transfer fee stood out as one of the biggest involving a Ugandan-based player in recent years.

Mubiru completed a two-year move to the Tanzanian giants after an impressive 2025/26 season with SC Villa, where he directly contributed to 13 league goals, scoring six and providing seven assists.

According to reports, although the winger had only one year remaining on his contract, SC Villa received Shs500 million from the transfer—the highest amount the club has earned from a player sale in recent years.

The move also made Mubiru the latest Ugandan footballer to join the Tanzania Premier League, following Allan Okello’s switch to Young Africans earlier in the year. He also joins a list of Ugandans who have previously featured for Azam FC, including Brian Umony, Brian Majwega and Nicholas Wadada.

So what convinced Azam FC to invest such a significant amount in the youngster?

Daniel Ntale, the Chief Executive Officer of Jodana Sports Management, the agency that brokered the transfer, believes the deal was built on more than the player’s statistics.

“First, this deal was a good one for the player. It’s a life-changing opportunity for a youthful player like him,” Ntale said.

He added that the agreement was equally beneficial to SC Villa, which has often seen its top players leave as free agents.

“The deal was also good for the club. Villa pocketed Shs500 million. I believe it is the highest amount the club has earned from a transfer in recent years because most of Villa’s good players have been leaving as free agents,” he explained.

“Bringing such an amount to the club that gave me the opportunity to play in the top-flight league is a great pleasure to me because there is nothing greater I can give back apart from helping engineer good deals that bring money to the club,” Ntale added.

Ntale acknowledged that Mubiru’s profile alone may not have justified such a valuation in the eyes of many observers.

“True, Hassan is a young player who is just starting his career. He has no national team caps that would ordinarily increase his market value. But this deal happened because of the strong relationships we have built with clubs, together with the experience and negotiating skills of the agent involved,” he said.

The transfer underlines the growing role of professional player representation in Ugandan football, where agencies are increasingly helping clubs maximize transfer income while securing improved opportunities for players.

For Mubiru, however, the record transfer fee now brings greater expectations. The winger will be expected to justify Azam FC’s investment over the next two seasons as he seeks to establish himself in one of East Africa’s most competitive leagues.

Jodana Sports Management has facilitated transfers for several players from Uganda and across the region, with the Mubiru deal emerging as one of its most notable transactions to date.