SC Villa skipper's ban reduced

By Swalley Kenyi

FUFA has reduced SC Villa skipper Denis Guma’s one-month suspension to three consecutive matches in the Uganda Super League matches.

The federation Appeals Committee of Richard Kiboneka has also scrapped the half million shillings fine FUFA disciplinary committee imposed on Guma.

The disciplinary committee last month suspended Guma from all FYUFA sanctioned matches for one month after the defender absconded from the national team camp on November 6, 2011.

Guma had absconded from the Cranes camp days before the team travelled to Morocco for the LG Cup last November.

He later apologised in letter addressed to the Disciplinary Committee pledging never to commit the same offence again.

According to a source in Kiboneka’s committee, Guma’s punishment was reduced because the player appologised.

But it verdict means that Villa will have to negotiate today’s super league encounter against stubborn UTODA FC without the central defender.

“The fine of sh500.000 earlier imposed by the disciplinary committee has been set aside. You will therefore not be required to pay any fine” reads part of the CEO Edgar Watson’s letter to the player.

The suspension was meted to Guma and FUFA disciplinary committee hoped that it would help tame other players reduce further indiscipline.

FUFA chief Watson cited Cranes midfield kingpin Tonny Mawejje, Abubaker Tabula and Mike Serumagga who suffered a six months suspension from all football activities for the same offence between 2006 and 2008 as examples.

Striker Serumagga and Tabula were suspended for absconding from the Cranes team that prepared to play a friendly game against Libya while Mawejje escaped from the camp as the team prepared for a Nations Cup qualifier.