Ugandan international and defender Bevis Mugabi exclusively for Footy-Africa has backed his move to English fifth division outfit Carlisle United, having been unveiled on Friday, on a relatively short-term two-year contract.
The 30-year-old has received criticism for joining a lower league team which many have termed damaging to his career and legacy. His last team was Cypriot Premier League outfit Anorthosis Famagusta, which he played for last season.
In an exclusive interview with Footy-Africa, Mugabi has defended his decision, calling it personal and one that also included his family’s interests. The experienced defender further asked the naysayers to respect his decision and that it would in the long-run pay off.
“Ideally, I shouldn’t be focusing on what the world has to say, because these are decisions that I make after so many considerations,” he said before adding: “I want to make it clear that I joined Carlisle because it’s a move that can improve my career, the project is very promising. A lot of people look at the league, but I am only focused on the development and the nature of the project, it’s exciting. But also, I’m now a lot nearer to my family than the case has been in the past. This was a decision I took with my family at the back of my mind, because they have supported me all my way up.”
Mugabi exited Anorthosis after making 17 appearances with two goals. He joined them from Motherwell in Scotland, after a decent 2023/24 campaign, where he played 32 Scottish Premier League matches. He also added six domestic Cup appearances. This tally was 25 more than he had played in the entirety of the 2022/23 season.
“I’m focused on improving but also helping the team make their aspirations valid. Not everything is about money. In the end, everyone will look back and realize it was the right move, it’s just a matter of time,” Mugabi added.
Meanwhile, he has previously featured for English teams Yeovil Town in the EFL League Two and the Southampton U21 team. A move to Cyprus will see him play outside Great Britain for the first time in his club career.
With the Uganda National Senior team, the Cranes, he has managed 26 international caps since debuting in 2017. He was instrumental in guiding the team to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
