By Lachlan Roberts 

When Antoni Jagarinec called time on his illustrious coaching career with Belconnen United, many wondered who would step into his big shoes. Few would have expected 23-year-old Ahmed Ugool to take the helm of the women’s program that Jagarinec built into a force over the past decade.

But the young coach is ready to lead the Blue Devils to their tenth straight NPLW title, with his lack of experience overshadowed by his youthful exuberance.

Ugool has been with the club since 2014, having first joined Belconnen United as a player before an ACL injury in 2017 turned his attention to coaching.

Beginning his coaching career with United's U16 Development Squad as an assistant coach, by 2020 he had worked his way up as an assistant coach for the first-grade side.

Following the sudden departure of Alen Marin as head coach in the wake of the temporary suspension of football, the club turned to Ugool to lead Belconnen United into a new era.

Ugool admits it is a challenging prospect, but he isn't daunted.

"There is a big difference between coaching youth teams and the 1st grade side," he said. "My new role is entirely performance-based, compared to coaching a youth side.

"When the club asked me to step into the head coaching role permanently, I was more than happy to. Instead of feeling the pressure, I feel excited about the role.

"I am very conscious that I am young and people might say that I am too young to take on the role. I have lots to learn but I have the right people around me."

One of those people guiding Ugool through his first season is the man he is replacing.

"What Ant has done with the women's program is incredible," Ugool said. "He built it from the ground up. I am very fortunate to call him one of my friends and a mentor.

"He has been my mentor for the last four years so it is very nice to know that he is in my corner. Ant has been really fantastic to me and has always given me advice. His football knowledge is second to none and he is a really nice guy, so I'm grateful to call him my mate."

Belconnen United will open the 2020 NPLW season when they host Monaro Panthers at Hawker Football Centre on Saturday afternoon (18 July), subject to ACT Government approval.

With disrupted preparation, Ugool is just focusing on winning those first three points and getting off to a strong start in the shortened season.

"No one has really had proper pre-season games so it is hard to properly know how prepared we are," he said. "We are just focusing on us and aim to win three points every game we play.

"We want to be as close to 100 percent as we can, but we understand that everyone is in the same boat of us and teams might not play their absolute best in the first couple of games."

2020 NPLW Season | Round 1
Belconnen United vs Monaro Panthers
Hawker Football Centre
3pm, 18 July 2020