Villa rescind boycott as fans brace for live games

Super league
Thursday Live on GTV 4pm
Victors v URA
Friday Live on GTV 4pm
KCC v Villa

By Swalley Kenyi
and Norman katende

SC Villa has launched a campaign for her fans to return to the stadia. They intend to realise a mammoth crowd at their Super League match with KCC that will be telecast live at Namboole on Friday.
Currently fourth on the table, the record 16-time champions are chasing their first title since 2005.

The club last month ordered its fans to shun all league matches in protest of poor officiation and the competitions committee decision to award Victors FC points for their aborted match at Nakivubo early last month.

Attendance at matches involving the club has since drastically dropped by about half as the fans had resorted to hanging outside stadia during the team’s games.
But Villa secretary Luyimbazi Mugalu this week wrote to FUFA saying they had reversed the decision and were mobilising fans back to the stadia.

“The (Villa) executive has noted that the resolution (to protest) made on December 6 at Villa Park was impulsive and ill-advised. It has withdrawn it and fans are being encouraged to attend ..... both league and national matches,” Luyimbazi said in the letter to the competitions committee.

They however, insisted FUFA should ensure that referees’ who officiate their games remain impartial.

+Ugandans will be bracing for a dress rehearsal of the live Africa Cup of Nations finals, when they watch their own local Super League on pay TV, GTV, Thursday and Friday.

GTV, who own the media and commercial rights of the Super League will on Thursday telecast the Victors-URA encounter and the KCC-Villa match on Friday live to viewers in Sub Saharan Africa and Europe starting at 4pm.

“At the beginning, it was somehow difficult and things did not go on as planned. But we have gained experience and we are always improving,” said Dennis Mbidde of the company, that also telecast the CECAFA Challenge Cup from Tanzania last month.

GTV’s plans to telecast live the league opener between Villa and Express and the KCC and Express tie failed and were relayed as delayed.

The company has shown highlights of at least two matches every week in their contract that targets showing at least 72 matches in the season.