The Big League, which is Uganda’s second highest football league tier after the FUFA Super league officially climaxed a week ago with Kawempe based Bright Stars, Mbale’s Child Restoration Organization (C.R.O) and Kampala based Soana the teams elevated to play in the Country’s most elite football league next season while Arua based Mvara Boys, Kampala’s UTODA, Mbarara’s Old Timers and Kasese Youth being the teams demoted to play in the respective regional leagues.
Kawowo Sports’ David Isabirye looks at the recap of the entire 2012/13 Big league season reflecting on the best and worst moments.
OUTSTANDING MOMENTS:
Despite lack of a main sponsor for the league, all the participating teams strived their very best to solicit resources from near and far to see that they meet registration fees, player allowances, transportation to away games, officiating fees for match officials, and all the other expenses necessary in the day to day running of the
clubs. To the end, a few clubs such as Bright Stars. UTODA, C.R.O lobbied for other external sponsors to help them with the process of successful running of their club affairs.
Another plus was the level of competition exhibited by the participating teams. Save for a few flattering scorelines such as the infamous 9-0 drubbing of Mvara Boys by Soana in Kavumba and the 6-2 loss of Nkumba University to Wandegeya at Kitezi play ground, most of the teams played their hearts out in the name of fair play to achieve positive results.
Infact, by the close of the regular season, there was no clear cut winner in each of the two pools – Rwenzori and Elgon. “On the final day of the regular season, each of the 3 teams in either group would have qualified directly”, confesses Koboko-Bazopa’s founder cum manager, Muhammed Bazirengedde.
Great new players have emerged out of the Big league, and serious Super Division club scouts and the national under age teams’ technical wing must have been on the look out to fish out the best players in the respective departments. Impressive players with awesome eye catching talent included: Hassan Kikoyo, Benard Muwanga and Francis Ssembatya (Bright Stars), Moses Kamya (Soana), Sula Lutimba and Andrew Nsamba (Koboko), Yassar Mugerwa and Douglas Muganga (Nkumba
University), Webstar (Iganga), Swari Dahab Muhammed and Samson Geria (Mvara Boys), Magomu Edward (C.R.O), Imamu Kinene (Baza Holdings), Joshua Mukibi (Ndejje University) and a host of many other promising players.
It was yet another landmark for Soana Coach, Richard Makumbi. The 44 year old tactician helped promote yet another team to the Super Division in as many years, having previously guided Kakira, SCOUL, Fire Masters, Bul-Bidco, among others to Super Division promotion from the lower league tiers of Uganda’s football.
THE STUMBLING BLOCKS
Unhonored league fixtures:
9 big league fixtures were not honored by teams for different reasons. UTODA missed two games against Baza Holdings and Bright Stars, Rwenshama missed two games against Mbale Heroes and Bugembe United, Kasese Youth never bothered to travel to Ngora Fredda Carr and Soroti Garage, Hoima Busia did not honour the Rwenshama and Kasese Youth fixtures.
Ironically, Iganga Municipal Council, a team owned by the FUFA Competitions Chairperson, Issa Magoola, missed their Bright Stars’ scheduled engagement at Kawanda Research Grounds. One team, Old Timers from Mbarara did not even step foot on any soccer ground from day one of the league, but it appeared on the fixtures and
league tables. One concerned soccer fan, Jude Okello petitioned the FUFA President, Lawrence Mulindwa questioning its continued appearance on the Elgon group log. However, no clear reason was given for Old Timer’s fate even by the close of the season.
Bribery and Corruption:
Imagine a team could be bribed to skip a home tie. One is therefore left to wonder the level of seriousness and competence of the teams that play in the nation’s second tier league. The vice that has eaten Uganda’s football for ages branded in the name of corruption took its toll during, before and after games.
Most game results were determined after some players, officials had been allegedly bribed. Conspiracies emerged that some teams had been paid never to appear for games whereas others missed for sheer lack of transport funds.
Albeit, the fact that most clubs cleared officiating fees on time, the officials reported to match venues late. This led to reducing of the official and mandatory 90 minutes playing time to at times a meager 60 minutes.
Some officials reported drunk and others missed out completely on duty. Biased officiation has been a loud cry for many if not all the big league clubs, little wonder fans and players’ violence ruled many games.
VIOLENCE DURING GAMES:
Like the norm has always been in most Ugandan Sporting events, the FUFA Big league was not spared from the raging vice of violence. Add to the fact that most stadia do not meet the required minimal precautionary security measure of having a perimeter fencing separating the match officials and players from the rowdy fans, violence precipitated by poor officiation mainly broke out during many matches.
Games involving Soana and Bright stars at Kavumba, Koboko and Nkumba University at Taibah school ground, Iganga Municipal playing Bright Stars and Nkumba University at the dreaded Ssaza grounds in Iganga and the play off fixture involving Soroti Garage and Koboko at Kakindu stadium were affected most by crowd and players’ violence.
The path to restoring sanity in Uganda’s football is a process long overdue. Many administrative and technical aspects of the game have to be rectified and put in order. The Big league, by virtue of the fact that is Uganda’s second tier league, should be more or less like the supreme Super league. Clubs should meet the minimum standards set by the league committee, officials and players play their part and the lower leagues will borrow a leaf from the Big league too. Wish you a nice 2013/14 season.
