Villa triumph in adversity
Sep 30, 2004
THE Jogoos might have been assaulted by turbulent winds, passed through stormy waters, suffered crewmen desertions and abruptly lost their captain, but the ship that’s SC Villa withstood all these on its voyage to a record 16th title.
By Joseph Opio
THE Jogoos might have been assaulted by turbulent winds, passed through stormy waters, suffered crewmen desertions and abruptly lost their captain, but the ship that’s SC Villa withstood all these on its voyage to a record 16th title.
Uncorking Champagne bottles in celebration is fast turning into a perennial pastime for Villa fans. An Andy Mwesigwa penalty helped the Jogoos shrug off URA’s mathematical challenge and uphold that tradition on Wednesday.
Villa’s effortless stroll past the tax-men however belies the demanding hurdles the club has had to overcome to clinch a successive seventh trophy.
Villa had been declared 2002/3 league champions in contentious fashion after a comical 22-1 drubbing of Akol precipitated an inquiry into Villa’s triumph.
Against the backdrop of their most controversial championship ever, the Blues felt they had a point to prove this season.
They started the 2003/4 season with naked intent with a 2-1 season-opening win against arch-rivals Express.
That victory formed the cornerstone for Villa’s first-round performance through which Micho Sredojevic’s troops marched unbeaten.
Then, the plot went gradually haywire.
First, Villa die-hard Omar Mandela, the club’s paymaster, abruptly jumped ship in disgust after an altercation with rowdy fans that had refused to pay gate fees at Namboole.
With the paymaster gone, Micho, who had navigated the ship through two titles, exited Villa Park in haste.
The scorching reins Micho relinquished fell in the hands of caretaker coach, Sam Timbe.
Thrown in at the deep end, Timbe’s crash course programme on steering a big ship through narrow channels was sabotaged by the loss of Kenyan import, Bernard Mwalala and skipper Timothy Batabaire to professional trials.
Timbe lost his debut encounter 1-0 in Masaka, then fell to Simba .
A previously steady ship had suddenly hit an iceberg and Villa’s title charge swiftly turned into an uncertain, stumbling stride to the finish tape.
Detractors will argue that this triumph was partly aided by the wretched form of the chasing pack, but, history will record that the good ship Villa reached its destination, battered and bruised but still triumphant.
Ends
THE Jogoos might have been assaulted by turbulent winds, passed through stormy waters, suffered crewmen desertions and abruptly lost their captain, but the ship that’s SC Villa withstood all these on its voyage to a record 16th title.
Uncorking Champagne bottles in celebration is fast turning into a perennial pastime for Villa fans. An Andy Mwesigwa penalty helped the Jogoos shrug off URA’s mathematical challenge and uphold that tradition on Wednesday.
Villa’s effortless stroll past the tax-men however belies the demanding hurdles the club has had to overcome to clinch a successive seventh trophy.
Villa had been declared 2002/3 league champions in contentious fashion after a comical 22-1 drubbing of Akol precipitated an inquiry into Villa’s triumph.
Against the backdrop of their most controversial championship ever, the Blues felt they had a point to prove this season.
They started the 2003/4 season with naked intent with a 2-1 season-opening win against arch-rivals Express.
That victory formed the cornerstone for Villa’s first-round performance through which Micho Sredojevic’s troops marched unbeaten.
Then, the plot went gradually haywire.
First, Villa die-hard Omar Mandela, the club’s paymaster, abruptly jumped ship in disgust after an altercation with rowdy fans that had refused to pay gate fees at Namboole.
With the paymaster gone, Micho, who had navigated the ship through two titles, exited Villa Park in haste.
The scorching reins Micho relinquished fell in the hands of caretaker coach, Sam Timbe.
Thrown in at the deep end, Timbe’s crash course programme on steering a big ship through narrow channels was sabotaged by the loss of Kenyan import, Bernard Mwalala and skipper Timothy Batabaire to professional trials.
Timbe lost his debut encounter 1-0 in Masaka, then fell to Simba .
A previously steady ship had suddenly hit an iceberg and Villa’s title charge swiftly turned into an uncertain, stumbling stride to the finish tape.
Detractors will argue that this triumph was partly aided by the wretched form of the chasing pack, but, history will record that the good ship Villa reached its destination, battered and bruised but still triumphant.
Ends