Express falters again

By Joseph Opio EXPRESS FC have yet again proven their critics right after the latest round of circus at Wankulukuku. When Eddie May said that his squad was highly overrated, pundits thought it was false modesty , while the Englishman prayed his words didn't come back to haunt him. But they have just done that. Unless they confound the form-book, Express is likely to go down that path of unexpected under-achievers this year. Their form this season has been as poor as it has been erratic. Having recruited so massively in the pre-season market, the last thing any Red Eagles' fan expected was losing to unheralded opposition like Mbale Heroes and SCOUL. Not that even their wins have been impressive, two of these have ended in controversy. Their loss against SCOUL, a team most felt they would and should have emphatically beaten, proved one too many. Uncertainty over May's fate was cleared as soccer gave way to circus at Wankulukuku. May was quickly informed that his June paycheck wasn't forthcoming and to put it precisely, that his services had been dispensed of. His crime? Not transforming Express into a professional side. And like Abu Korouma and Dragan Popadic before him, May found out that patience is another virtue that is in short supply at Wankulukuku. The other is a league trophy. That Express expected May to turn their star -studded squad - that is averagely too old - into run away leaders hardly six months into his contract shows how desperate Kirumira's executive is. Just weeks after announcing the collapse of VEK, Express General Secretary Kavuma Kabenge was at it again, proclaiming May's departure. He insisted that they had given the Englishman a free hand but that he'd failed to do his duties. What claptrap! On the contrary, May had his hands tied. Which club in its sound mind would forcefully leave a coach out of two training sessions and then claim to have given him a free hand? That club could only be Express. With Kassim Buyondo, the chairman of the technical committee, still at Wankulukuku, one wouldn't need to be a rocket scientist to see that Express are doomed. That May accused him of having too much influence in the team came as no surprise. After all, didn't Popadic say almost the same. Call him indispensable (and he certainly is) but Buyondo, though ever the reason why tacticians leave, is likely to continue outliving every one of them. A cross section of fans is likely to applaud Express' decision of sacking May but some will be appaled by the speed with which Express hired the services of Asuman Lubowa. Few would be surprised if Lubowa signed his contract way before May's departure was made official. The Express officials aren't alone in their endeavour to exhibit how disorganized the team is. The Red Army, the fans' militant wing quickly followed suit as they 'sacked' the old guards of the club as saboteurs. Many feel Lubowa will follow May in event of any failure. Only time will tell but they might just have a point. Ends