There were moments during Fauzia Najjemba’s journey through European football when reaching the United States and playing in one of the world’s most competitive women’s leagues must have felt like a distant dream.
The biggest test came in Russia, where the Ugandan forward had to adjust not only to the demands of football at Dynamo Moscow, but also to a harsh climate and an unfamiliar language.
“For the first two training sessions, I called home because I felt like going back. I thought I could not do it anymore, especially because we were training outside in the cold,” Najjemba recalled.
It was one of the toughest periods of a journey that has since taken her to Boston Legacy in the National Women’s Soccer League, a competition she says she had always wanted to play in.
Looking back, Najjemba believes those difficult experiences helped her develop what she describes as the “mental muscle” needed to survive the demands of professional football.
“We players need to grow a mental muscle because sometimes things happen and you become mentally disturbed. You can overthink what happened on or off the field and reach a point where you feel like quitting football,” she said.
Najjemba’s football story, however, began much closer to home, where she grew up watching her brothers play and listening to stories about her father’s own involvement in the game.
“My brothers inspired me because I used to watch them play when I was growing up. My dad also played football sometime back, and although my brothers were very good, they never took the game that seriously,” she said.
Her talent later took her through Mukono High School and Kampala Queens, two important stages in a development pathway that eventually opened the door to professional football abroad.
Najjemba particularly credits Kampala Queens with preparing her for the next stage of her career and helping her understand what was required at a higher level.
“Kampala Queens was a stepping stone in my career because I learnt a lot there before signing my first professional contract. I cannot take that period for granted because the club played an important role in my development,” she said.
Her first move abroad took her to Kazakhstan, where the excitement of starting a professional career was quickly accompanied by the realities of living far away from family and everything she had grown accustomed to in Uganda.
She struggled with homesickness, missed Ugandan food and had to adjust to a different climate and way of life, all while trying to establish herself as a young professional footballer.
“It was very hard because I was still very young and I faced several challenges. I missed home, my family and Ugandan food, and I was homesick almost all the time,” she recalled.
What kept her going was remembering why she had made the move in the first place and understanding that the sacrifices were part of trying to build a career.
“I knew why I had gone there, so I had to work hard even though I was far from my family and friends. I had to put those feelings aside for that period and concentrate on what I wanted to achieve,” she said.
Russia presented an even tougher challenge when Najjemba later joined Dynamo Moscow, with the weather and language barrier testing her ability to adapt once again.
She had to learn Russian to make communication easier and gradually became comfortable enough with the language to interact with teammates and people around her.
“I had to learn Russian and that experience helped me both personally and mentally. When you are thinking too much about the weather or struggling to understand the language, it can affect your performance, so I had to adapt slowly,” she said.
By the time she left Russia, Najjemba says she could communicate comfortably in the language, even though she was not completely fluent.
Those experiences eventually prepared her for another major step when her agent informed her that Boston Legacy were interested in signing her.
For Najjemba, the opportunity carried extra significance because playing in the NWSL had been one of her ambitions.
“I was really excited because I had always wanted to play in the NWSL, which is a very competitive league. For me, getting that opportunity was a dream come true,” she said.
Even then, she admits it took time for the reality of the move to sink in.
“At first I could not believe it and kept asking myself whether it was really serious. My agent continued talking to me, then we had Zoom meetings with the club and I realised this was going to be a big step in my career,” Najjemba said.
After arriving in Boston, she quickly noticed the difference between her previous experiences and the demands of football in the NWSL, particularly in training and the tactical understanding expected from players.
“The training here is very intense and the understanding of the game is also very important. I feel I am improving in that area because I am learning a lot from the coaches and the players around me,” she explained.
For Najjemba, however, reaching that level cannot be credited only to the clubs she has represented along the way.
She believes Kazakhstan and Russia helped prepare her for the demands of the NWSL, but insists that individual responsibility remains just as important for any player who wants to progress.
“A club can prepare you, but you also have to prepare yourself as a player. If you are not willing to work on yourself and keep improving, I do not think you can reach this level,” she said.
That message is particularly important when Najjemba looks back towards Uganda, where schools, academies and domestic clubs continue to provide much of the foundation for the women’s game.
She believes Uganda has enough talent to produce more players capable of moving abroad, although talent alone will not be enough.
“We have talent in Uganda, but players have to keep pushing themselves and working hard. You have to focus on yourself, believe in yourself and continue working towards what you want,” she said.
Away from football, Najjemba has also developed an interest in community work, something she says has become important because of the opportunities the game has given her.
“I love doing good things for other people and taking part in community service. Football has given me so many opportunities, so giving back is something that I really enjoy doing,” she said.
Her first season in Boston has since presented another test of the resilience she developed during those difficult years abroad, with injury interrupting her progress and forcing her to begin another recovery process.
Yet adversity is hardly unfamiliar to a player who left Uganda at a young age, battled homesickness in Kazakhstan, struggled through the Russian winter and learnt a new language in order to adapt to life and football abroad.
The young player who once called home wondering whether she could continue has travelled a long way since then, and perhaps the most valuable thing she has carried through that journey is the “mental muscle” she learnt to build along the way.