How Ugandan goalkeeper Alionzi balanced school and football
Modern football has altered the way people perceive football. A full-time professional sporting discipline that has engulfed billions of people across the world.
To keep up with this trend, Uganda’s first choice goalkeeper Nafian Legason Alionzi made sure that he earned an education while pursuing his dreams of playing professional football.
Among those dreams was to feature for the national team – the Uganda Cranes and compete at several major tournaments. At the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship, Alionzi finally realized that dream and is over the moon with the experience that he has gained on this journey.
“First of all, I would like to thank the Algerian people for hosting us at this tournament,” noted Alionzi in an interview with CAFOnline.
Uganda amassed four points in Group B tied with Côte d’Ivoire but unfortunately, they did not progress from the group stages because of the head-to-head rule.
Alionzi kept two clean sheets including against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) as well as Senegal in Group B.
The Cranes are the only side to score against and beat Senegal at this tournament with the Teranga Lions now in the final to face hosts Algeria on Saturday.
At the heart of this performance was Alionzi who registered a 100% save rate against both DR Congo and Senegal for a combined six saves that earned him ululations from the citizens of Annaba in Algeria.
But things have not always been shiny for the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) custodian who has been outstanding in recent years in the open pursuit of becoming the number one choice goalkeeper to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Denis Onyango – named as Africa’s Best Goalkeeper in 2016 by CAF.
Alionzi opens up, “It is not easy to come from the bottom without facing some challenges, especially from my parents, who looked after us as peasants and wanted us to work as farmers.
"Parents want their children to go to school, but even when they have a certain special talent, many parents want us to study without playing football, and when you choose football, they abandon you.”
The 26-year-old Alionzi chose football and this option has paid off because football embraced him and has since provided him with dreams beyond his expectations.
Alionzi, who had a dream of finishing school while playing top level football, earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Makerere University Business School – the most prestigious university in Uganda and one of the best in Africa.
Among Makerere University’s alumni are former Ugandan President Milton Obote, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga who led Kenya to independence, two former Tanzania Presidents Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and Benjamin Mkapa as well as former Kenya President Mwai Kibaki and former DR Congo President Joseph Kabila.
For Alionzi, the honour to complete university education, was very important for it has now prepared him for a bigger stage during his playing career as well as his post-playing career – something that he does not take lightly.
“You can combine focusing on studying and practicing football by making sure you manage your time very well. I had a dream and look at me now. I completed my university degree and now, I am with the Ugandan national team. It is a dream that everyone wishes to achieve because the national team is the highest level we seek to reach in our country,” Alionzi speaks with a grin on his face full of content.
Alionzi wants to continue working hard and representing Uganda while encouraging other football players back home and across the world to pursue both dreams and that it is possible to succeed at both.