Djoliba will finally return on Thursday

Mar 28, 2012

DJOLIBA AC will return home on Thursday after Mali’s main airport in Bamako has been partially opened following the coup d’etat last week.

By Swalley Kenyi

DJOLIBA AC will return home on Thursday after Mali’s main airport in Bamako has been partially opened following the coup d’etat last week.

The football team that has been stuck in their hotel in Kampala was to return on Monday after they played URA FC in the first round of CAF Champions League on Saturday.

URA officials said on Wednesday that their visitors will return to Bamako aboard Ethiopian Airlines on Thursday because of the junta’s decision to reopen the airport for six hours daily.

“We are negotiating for them to return home tomorrow (Thursday). We are only waiting for confirmation from someone coming from Mali,” URA FC secretary Henry Mayeku said on Wednesday.

Without giving details, Junta spokesman Lt. Amadou Konare said on Monday that, "The Malian airspace is open only for civilian transport from today."

The return of Djoliba AC casts doubt on the return leg of the CAF Champions League first round return leg match in Bamako as URA insists that they cannot travel of Bamako to play on April 4.

Mayeku insists that FUFA writes to the continental body CAF to communicate their position arguing that Mali is unsafe. URA had also asked FUFA to take over costs related to the stay of Djoliba.

Meanwhile, FUFA has stepped in to stop a friendly match between KCC FC and Djoliba arguing that the organisers has not sought permission as stipulated in CAF rules, where the continental and Mali Football Federation must clear the match.

KCC and Djoliba were due to play the friendly match at Mandela National Stadium in Namboole at 4:00PM on Wednesday.

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