Soccer fans want probe of Nations Cup failure

 By Norman Katende

THE National Union of Football Fans in Uganda (NUFFA) has petitioned sports minister Charles Bakkabulindi to set up a committee to investigate Uganda’s perennial failure to qualify for Africa Nations and World Cup competitions.

This follows the heartbreaking failure by the Uganda Cranes to qualify for the 2012 Nations Cup after a goalless draw the Kenya’s Harambee Stars on Saturday.

Uganda needed any win to reach the Africa Cup of Nations but were edged out after the draw. NUFFA chairman Joseph Kizito handed the petition to Bakkabulindi at his office in Kampala today.

Kizito argued that without getting to the root of the problem, Uganda might never qualify again qualify for the Nations Cup. The Cranes last went for the Cup in 1978 where they finished runner-up behind hosts Ghana.

“We do not want the inquiry to come out and just point fingers at individuals. We want to get to the root cause so that an everlasting solution is sought,” Kizito told Bakkabulindi.

“Our failure to qualify (for Nations Cup) did not start at Namboole, there were a number of allegations before the Angola game which we, as fans, want investigated.”

Kizito argued that they opted to petition Bakkabulindi because FUFA cannot investigate themselves and come up with a solution thus the call for National Council of Sports to initiate the probe.

The NUFFA entourage that also had vice chairman Patrick Kalungi suggested that seasoned sports administrators form the committee.

The fans’ body cited poor crowd control at the stadium, ticket hoarding, allegations of sabotage, campaign funds management, officials and players’ (misconduct, interference of technical organisation and management, ill preparations for the national teams and FUFA administrative systems as some of the areas to be probed.

Bakkabulindi welcomed the idea and gave NUFFA a week to set up the committee.

“There are so many things that went wrong, we will involve sports elders in the committee and we need to get a report as soon as possible. South Africa 2013 is at the corner,” the minister observed.