SOS left out
May 10, 2005
PRESSURE group Save Our Soccer (SOS) has not been invited among football stakeholders that will meet the FIFA team that arrives today to inaugurate the interim FUFA committee.
By James Bakama, Sabiiti Muwanga and Norman Katende
PRESSURE group Save Our Soccer (SOS) has not been invited among football stakeholders that will meet the FIFA team that arrives today to inaugurate the interim FUFA committee.
Secretary to the normalisation committee Patrick Isiagi said they were not aware of SOS’ stake in football and so could not invite them. “Who is SOS and what is their address anyway?†Isiagi asked.
The list of invited stakeholders for the meeting tomorrow includes the suspended FUFA president and his secretary, two officials from each super division club, Super Division Clubs Association (SDCA) and Friends of Football (FOF).
Others are FIFA referees, Players’ Association, Women Football Association and match commissioners.
SOS have been at the centre of the ongoing saga surrounding the local soccer governing body, that culminated with FUFA’s executive being disbanded by government before the prosecution and remanding in Luzira of suspended FUFA boss Denis Obua.
The high powered FIFA team that includes Abuja All Africa Games chief Dr. Amos Adamu and FIFA’s deputy general secretary Jerome Champagne will first meet education and sports state minister Charles Bakkabulindi and the National Council of Sports (NCS).
NCS met yesterday, and are already talking tough.
“Naming a normalisation committee is a normal procedure but the question is whether it is representative of the stakeholders who want to see the game developing,†NCS chairman Wilson Tumwine said.
“We are going to inform the delegation that NCS has the government’s mandate to supervise all sports activities in the country. This includes the normalisation committee since it will be working as the football federation.
“The constitution they are supposed to make should be in line with the laws of the country and this has to be overseen by us,†he said.
Meanwhile, SOS have threatened a court injunction against interim FUFA activities if the world soccer governing body FIFA does not respect government’s stand on Uganda’s soccer crisis.
“We shall not only cause an injunction, but also ensure that the normalisation committee inherits the court case we have against FUFA,†SOS spokesperson Dennis Mbidde said.
“FUFA should come here to consult and not to impose. There should be a consensus,†SOS lawyer Fred Muwema said. Muwema challenged FIFA not to fear stakeholders like SOS, KKL and FOF because they are Ugandan football’s nucleus.
Interim FUFA head Dr. James Sekajugo hit back: “SOS should stop playing mouth ball in press conferences and court. I would like to see them becoming champions of real football.â€
SOS insist FIFA would rather ban Uganda from international competitions other than impose bad leaders on them.
Banning Uganda would create confusion in Group two of the the 2006 World Cup/ Nations Cup qualifiers. South Africa, 2010 hosts, would suffer most having snatched three points in Kampala.
DR Congo would benefit most, having lost three points in Kampala while Ghana lost two.
PRESSURE group Save Our Soccer (SOS) has not been invited among football stakeholders that will meet the FIFA team that arrives today to inaugurate the interim FUFA committee.
Secretary to the normalisation committee Patrick Isiagi said they were not aware of SOS’ stake in football and so could not invite them. “Who is SOS and what is their address anyway?†Isiagi asked.
The list of invited stakeholders for the meeting tomorrow includes the suspended FUFA president and his secretary, two officials from each super division club, Super Division Clubs Association (SDCA) and Friends of Football (FOF).
Others are FIFA referees, Players’ Association, Women Football Association and match commissioners.
SOS have been at the centre of the ongoing saga surrounding the local soccer governing body, that culminated with FUFA’s executive being disbanded by government before the prosecution and remanding in Luzira of suspended FUFA boss Denis Obua.
The high powered FIFA team that includes Abuja All Africa Games chief Dr. Amos Adamu and FIFA’s deputy general secretary Jerome Champagne will first meet education and sports state minister Charles Bakkabulindi and the National Council of Sports (NCS).
NCS met yesterday, and are already talking tough.
“Naming a normalisation committee is a normal procedure but the question is whether it is representative of the stakeholders who want to see the game developing,†NCS chairman Wilson Tumwine said.
“We are going to inform the delegation that NCS has the government’s mandate to supervise all sports activities in the country. This includes the normalisation committee since it will be working as the football federation.
“The constitution they are supposed to make should be in line with the laws of the country and this has to be overseen by us,†he said.
Meanwhile, SOS have threatened a court injunction against interim FUFA activities if the world soccer governing body FIFA does not respect government’s stand on Uganda’s soccer crisis.
“We shall not only cause an injunction, but also ensure that the normalisation committee inherits the court case we have against FUFA,†SOS spokesperson Dennis Mbidde said.
“FUFA should come here to consult and not to impose. There should be a consensus,†SOS lawyer Fred Muwema said. Muwema challenged FIFA not to fear stakeholders like SOS, KKL and FOF because they are Ugandan football’s nucleus.
Interim FUFA head Dr. James Sekajugo hit back: “SOS should stop playing mouth ball in press conferences and court. I would like to see them becoming champions of real football.â€
SOS insist FIFA would rather ban Uganda from international competitions other than impose bad leaders on them.
Banning Uganda would create confusion in Group two of the the 2006 World Cup/ Nations Cup qualifiers. South Africa, 2010 hosts, would suffer most having snatched three points in Kampala.
DR Congo would benefit most, having lost three points in Kampala while Ghana lost two.