Uganda Beach Soccer Association suspends players
Oct 15, 2014
Uganda Beach Soccer Association (UBSA) has suspended Braza Braza BSC players Kassim Nasir and Real Galactical’s lead striker Abdu Karim from the sport for 1825 days (five years) and 356 days (one year) respectively.
By Swalley Kenyi
Uganda Beach Soccer Association (UBSA) has suspended Braza Braza BSC players Kassim Nasir and Real Galactical’s lead striker Abdu Karim from the sport for 1825 days (five years) and 356 days (one year) respectively.
This after the players’ indiscipline cases at the previous Pepsi Beach Soccer League outing at Lido beach. According to referee Viola Kamulegeya’s report, Nasir stopped the kick-off of his team’s match with St Lawrence University on Sunday.
Kamulegeya’s report noted that when the UBSA league competitions committee could not allow Nasir, who also coaches Braza Braza, to field unlicensed players, he grabbed her report forms and tore the papers into pieces.
Consequently the match between Braza Braza and St. Lawrence was not played.
Nasir had become synonymous with fracas at almost every beach soccer outing at Lido and this time the beach soccer committee said that they acted because Nasir physically attacked players and distorted competition records.
“With effect from this communication, the above player is hereby suspended from any official beach soccer activity organised under UBSA, FUFA, the Confederation and FIFA for the above specified period,” UBSA Competitions Committee secretary Richard Semanda wrote in notification to Braza Braza.
Abdu Karim was handed 365 days (one year) ban and a fine of sh200000 for attacking another referee Medie Senteza during their 4-3 loss against YMCA BSC the same weekend.
UBSA chairman Deo Mutabazi defended his committee saying that it was forced to act because they could not continue tolerating indiscipline beyond last Sunday.
“Kassim Nasir and Abdu Karim among pioneer players of beach soccer in the country and at certain point we thought it was their passion for the sport but what happened last Sunday was clearly beyond tolerance,” Semanda said.
These punishments are the biggest cases since inauguration of beach soccer in Uganda less than a decade ago. However, the players will be allowed to appeal to their respective punishments.
FUFA quickly responded to UBSA with their Secretary FCC Ali Mwebe saying that, “The FUFA Competitions Department has with that effect revoked the player licenses to participate in any official beach soccer competition for the specified period of time unless otherwise directed by any other Association Football Judicial Unit.”
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