"Next season, We shall be better" – Mbalangu vows to build on NEC FC’s strong campaign

Photo: NEC FC Media

NEC FC head coach Hussein Mbalangu has promised a stronger showing in the 2025/26 season, building on the club’s remarkable rise in Ugandan football.

Speaking during the club’s end-of-year dinner held at Silver Springs Hotel in Bugolobi, Mbalangu expressed gratitude to the club’s faithful for their unwavering support throughout the just-concluded 2024/25 campaign.

“We didn’t perform poorly last season and I take this opportunity to thank everyone at the club for the previous campaign,” said Mbalangu. “We have been successful as a club since we are going to represent the country on the continent. We have been together with my players during tough times. Next season, I promise we shall be better than this season.”

NEC FC narrowly missed out on the StarTimes Uganda Premier League title, finishing just two points behind eventual champions Vipers SC. However, they secured a slot in the 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup thanks to Vipers’ domestic double.

It marks another major milestone for the Bugolobi-based side, who have only spent two seasons in the topflight but continue to punch above their weight. Last season, they reached the final of the Stanbic Uganda Cup, finishing runners-up to Kitara FC.

As NEC FC prepares for continental competition, Mbalangu’s message is clear: the best is yet to come.