Star Profile: I Joined Football to Challenge My Brothers, Cissy Nantongo Narrates her Journey
Challenging our abilities compared to those we admire or those we feel like we better than, it’s what drive us to hit our goal and test the potential that within us as human beings.
Voice of Bugerere brings you Cissy Nantongo aka Kajozi who took football simply to challenge her elder brothers that she can do what they do.
The Midfield meastro who ply her trade in Nakawa based Women’s Super League Club, She Corporate FC was born in October 10th 1999 in Kabasanda in Mpigi District.
The workholic defensive midfielder is the last born in the family of four and she is the only girl, Mikanduko Richard and Fatuma Nalubowa managed to bring on this lovely, harsh Earth.
Education Journey:
Nantongo started eduction journey at Mulago Kindergarten school before joining St Martin Primary school also in Mulago, in Kampala District where she sat her primary seven in 2011.
Nantongo spent her six years of secondary school education in four schools.
After primary, Cissy went to St Juliana High School Gayaza where she studied form one and two between 2012 and 2013. She had a year at St Mary’s Kitende before switching to Kakungulu Memorial where she sat her Uganda Certificate of Education Examinations that is in 2015.
For Advanced secondary education, Nantongo went to Mukono High School and it’s where she got her Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) that was in 2017, Here she did Divinity, Economics, Art and Sub Mathematics as her combination.
Nantongo joined Makerere University Business School, Nakawa in 2019 where she is pursuing a Bachelor’s in Business Administration (BBA).
Football Journey.
Nantongo started trying football as early as 10 years playing with her elder brothers at home.
At that age many girls be in girl-like plays but this one took the boy’s path. “Surely I can’t exactly tell you why I chose football to other women games, but what I can tell is that I wanted to challenge my brothers, to show them that what a man can do, then a woman can do better, now here I am.” Nantongo.
In 2011, her football became more serious and while playing with boys at Mulago playground, she was spotted by Paul Ssali Gogolimbo and Sarah Kabanda who took her to St Juliana High School Gayaza.
She had two years at Gayaza, the financial crisis hit the school in 2013, the following year, the director of that same school, Geofrey Sserunjogi transfered Cissy and her fellow footballers to St Mary’s Kitende where they spent only one year before the Head master of Mary’s scrapped off girls football.
Nantongo went to Kakungulu Memorial in 2015, then in 2016 she switched to Mukono High School where she won them the Ball Games championship. But while at Kakungulu in 2015, she joined She Corporate FC for the first stint in FUFA Women’s Elite League.
While at Mukono High, she made a transfer to Olila WFC, she had two complete seasons with the Soroti based side, she won them the inaugural Women’s Cup in 2017 and helped them to win a silver medal in 2017/18 Elite League season.
She Corporate later bounced back and tabled her a better offer in 2018 transfer window, the girl never resisted, she returned at her home.
At She Corporate, she has been a regular starter and in her first season, 2018/19, she was ranked among the best defensive midfielders and got an U-20 maiden national team call.
The workaholic Cissy cited that she is till have more eight years in the game before quiting and she is working hard to have a professional contract outside the country.
But before achieving that goal, Nantongo had a better 2021/22 season with She Corporate, the side won their maiden league title, [FUFA Women’s Super League], they represented Uganda in CAF Cecafa Zonal qualifiers in 2022, they won a silver medal after losing final against Simba Queens.
Profile:
Name: Cissy Nantongo
Nickname: Kajozi
Date of Birth: 10, October, 1999 (21years)
Place of Birth [Village]: Kabasanda, Mpigi District
Mother’s name: Fatuma Nalubowa
Father’s name: Mikanduko Richard
Position: Defensive Midfielder
Strong Foot: Right
Weight: 60Kgs
Height: 167.5 cm
Shirt no. 18
Previous Club: Olila WFC
Current Club: She Corporate
Role Model: Ngolo Kante (French International)
Best players played with: Naome Nagadya, Riticia Nabbosa, Fazila Ikwaput and Vannesa Karungi Edith.
Credited people; Fatuma Nalubowa (mother), Richard Kawere (She Corporate Chairperson), Ssemuyaga Joseph.
Achievements:
CAF CECAFA Zonal [Silver Medal] 2022.
FUFA Women’s Super League title [Gold medal]- 2021/22
National team call – 2019
Women’s Cup winner with Olila WFC – 2017.
Nationals (Schools Competition) winner as a Captain with Mukono High School – 2017.
FUFA Women’s Elite League Silver Medal with Olila WFC- 2018.
Best Moments in football:
Winning 2017 inaugural FUFA Women’s Cup 2017 with Olila WFC.
Worst Moment:
Losing semifinal game of FUFA Women’s Cup against Lady Doves FC at home in 2019.
Ambitions:
To play professional football in near future.
Youth Football Career:
2012-2013- St Juliana High School Gayaza
2014- St Mary’s Kitende
2015- Kakungulu Memorial SS
2016-17 – Mukono High School
Senior career (Club level)
2015/16 – She Corporate FC
2016-18 – Olila WFC
2018 to-date: She Corporate FC
2019: U-20 National Team Call.