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KCCA FC has promoted teenage striker John Paul Dembe to its senior team, signing him onto a long-term five-year contract that will last until 2028.
In a strategic move to enhance his development, the 18-year-old forward will be loaned out to Swedish professional side Bollklubben Häcken, also known as BK Häcken, for the next six months.
BK Häcken, who currently competes in Allsvenskan, the highest tier of Swedish football, is the reigning champion of the Swedish league and is participating in the first-round qualifiers of the UEFA Champions League.
This move offers Dembe a unique opportunity to gain international exposure and improve his skills in a competitive football environment.
Upon his promotion to the KCCA FC senior team, Dembe expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “I am happy to be promoted to the KCCA FC senior team.”
“It has been my dream to play for this club, and I am so delighted to be part of the setup now,” he added.
“I want to continue my growth and development, and I know this will not come easy, but I am ready and prepared for the challenge.”
“I have trained with the KCCA FC senior team before, and the players were good to me. I cannot wait to get started,” he said.
Dembe is no stranger to high-pressure games, having already tasted success with the KCCA FC U20 side that clinched victory at the Cambiasso U20 International Tournament in Dar-es-salam, Tanzania, in July 2022.
A shining star of the tournament, Dembe scored the solitary goal in the semi-final against France’s Montpellier U20, pushing KCCA FC U20 to the finals where they defeated Azam FC U20 1-0 at the Chamazi Stadium.
Fast-forward to February 2023, Dembe, then 17, further demonstrated his striking prowess by making the final Uganda Hippos U20 side that competed in the AFCON U20 tournament in Egypt.
In their Group B opener, he netted the winning goal against Central African Republic, leading Uganda to a thrilling 2-1 victory at the Suez Canal Stadium.
Outside the football field, Dembe has recently completed his Uganda Certificate of Education from Buddo Secondary School.
Dembe becomes the second youth player promoted to the club’s senior team this season, following defender John Mubeezi who was promoted this week.
Mubeezi was also a crucial member of KCCA’s U-20 team that played and won the Cambiasso and Rainbow International Tournament in Tanzania in 2020.
His most recent adventure had him at Mbale Heroes FC on loan, a side he helped secure promotion from the Regional League to the FUFA Big League.
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