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Joseph Langol is the most disciplined Cubs player
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Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
Discipline is a prerequisite for every athlete across the globe in their journey to stardom in their different specialties or sports disciplines.
In fact, every sports discipline has a specific number of guiding rules and regulations on and off the pitch/court for emphasis on this aspect of discipline. And whereas these guiding rules and requirements command respect and strict observance, for they come with punishment in case of breach, some athletes have chosen to turn them into personal virtues in a self-discipline drive. Based on the official guidelines, it is still a football requirement for a player's jersey to be tucked into their shorts during a football (soccer) match.
While many professional players today often wear their jerseys untucked, official football law mandates a tidy appearance, which includes tucked shirts and pulled-up socks. But more often than not, we have seen players leave their shirts hanging and swinging even when referees have insisted they wear their uniform properly.
Joseph Langol is one young player who has chosen to abide by football rules without waiting to be told to do so, by adopting the personal virtue of tucking in his jersey and shirts.
Langol, a member of the Uganda Cubs team taking part in the TotalEnergies Men's U17 CECAFA Region Qualifiers in Ethiopia, has been the most tidy appearing among Kingston's men, whether during training sessions or match days.
The 16-year-old has had both his playing and training shirts tucked in all the time, and there’s more to it when he also tucks in the bib as well.
Joseph Langol even tucks in during training sessions
Most times, we have, in a hard way, had to learn respecting rules after having been whipped for disrespect, especially at the initial stages of our growth and development, but to Langol, it has come as a self-taught mannerism. "It came to my mind that I should always appear different from others while on the field of play, both by what I do and how I dress. So it came to me like that, not that there is a punishment I remember having gone through to learn tucking in," Langol says.
In his home village in Patango, Langol is nicknamed Kakta, translating to Doctor, because of his 24/7 tidiness and general discipline — an attribute that shows how the community perceives his character.
A S.1 student at Jinja giants Jinja Progressive Academy (JIPRA), Langol looks up to Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Man City midfielder Rodri, whom he says inspire him to tidiness.
Joseph Langol even tucks in the bib during training sessions
Who is Joseph Langol
Born on 01/11/2009 to Lillian Akello and Raymond Okot, Langol went through Paohiner Primary School and subsequently Paohiner Soccer Academy in Patango Town Council, both institutions owned by his father, Okot.
He says he started playing football early at the age of 4, but this was during kiddish competitions with other young ones in their community, before his father enrolled him in the academy in 2018.
Langol would then join the ranks alongside his friends, twin brothers Emmanuel Ocem and John Baptist Opio.
His first competition came in 2019 when he was named on the Northern Uganda team that played at the first edition of the FUFA Odilo Championship at FUFA Technical Centre Njeru.
Playing in the holding role of the midfield, Langol scored 6 goals to emerge the tournament's top goal scorer for his maiden golden boot award.
In 2021, he was named on the Paohiner Soccer Academy team to compete at the CHIPKIZI East Africa Kids' Tournament in Arusha, Tanzania, where he played well as a defensive midfielder and captain of the U13 category, but instead, Opio was selected from their team for the East Africa team to go to Real Madrid for a kids' tournament.
The following year, Langol was again in Arusha with the Paohiner Primary School team for the FEASSA games, where he steered the team to the semifinal level.
The central defender and calm holding midfielder then joined Quality High School before transferring to JIPRA, where he says he will have a good journey toward his career growth and development dreams.
National team appearances and career growth path
Langol has seen his promising growth through the ranks, having been a member of the Uganda national U15 team that won silver at the 2023 CECAFA Men's U15 Championship hosted at FUFA Technical Centre Njeru, when they lost 4–3 on penalties to winners Zanzibar in the final.
He was again on Brian Ssenyondo’s U17 Uganda Cubs side that played at and historically qualified for the FIFA U17 Men's World Cup ongoing in Qatar, where Uganda Cubs again made history by reaching the Round of 16.
Langol played one game in Morocco in the 2–1 loss to Zambia, but unfortunately, he could not continue to compete for the slot to Qatar as he picked up an ankle injury that derailed his chances.
However, with the help of his father Omara, Langol healed in time to again be picked by Layrea Kingston for the TotalEnergies AFCON Men's U17 CECAFA Region Qualifiers currently ongoing in Ethiopia, and he is yet to make his mark.
His weakness is slow speed, but this is rectified by his timely tackling and strong game reading — the attributes he rides on for his ever-perfect game.
Torch Media Africa
