For this week’s piece, I had planned to expend my energies to punch holes into the Fufa-imposed Uganda Premier League (UPL) three-legged format but on October 18, I got a surprise when Moses Magogo, the Fufa president, swallowed his pride and conceded to SC Vipers’ Dr Lawrence Mulindwa pressure to revert to the basic known worldwide format.
History will remember that it took one club out of 16 to show the football fraternity the truth and light. In years to come, questions will be asked how the mighty SC Villa, with all its bigwigs, crumbled to one man just to save business interests.
Also, where was the financially stable KCCA FC and Mukwano Gwabangi Express in all this? That’s a story for another day. My message here is that unknown to many people, Magogo has over the years created an aura that he is invincible.
He may have gotten concerned by the overall fans’ boycott of UPL matches but it took the intervention of Maama Janet, the Education and Sports minister, to have him eat his words.
Make no mistake, Magogo was going to stick to the fake new format regardless of the fans’ boycott of the league. So, I thank Maama Janet for forcing Magogo’s arm. I have known Magogo for more than 20 years and I know he just never takes defeat honourably.
He always digs into the slightest weaknesses in an opponent to feast on. In this case, he has just simply postponed the war with Mulindwa and Vipers to enable him plan a better move.
The football fraternity ought to know this. I can assure you; his next move will be even bigger than his fake new league format. Vipers, as it seeks to join the elite group stage of the Caf Champions League, ought to ensure there is no stone unturned as far as the regulations are concerned lest information leaks from Fufa that they have an ineligible player or booking here or there.
So, this is a rare defeat for Magogo, whose bootlickers hold key positions in Fufa. So, for the football fraternity and Vipers, this is a temporary victory but Magogo is planning for a bigger strike in the months to come.
On many occasions over the past decade or so, Magogo has demonstrated that football rather loses than him. It is on record that he has gone to the extent of declaring that fans have no locus to question Fufa accountability, decisions and operations.
Amidst all this, I really feel for UPL broadcaster StarTimes, who were caught between a rock and hard place. Unknown to them was that Magogo brought in this new arrangement to force his way into getting alternative sponsors.
Remember, the StarTimes deal is for two home-and-away matches but Magogo’s new arrangement involved a third fixture that StarTimes would have no control over. So, I as look forward, I am warning that the football fraternity ought to be alert.
I can assure you, my reader, that Magogo is just biding his time to revenge for the embarrassment he has endured. If we are not careful, by the time we finish the next two seasons, Magogo could be on top with his new UPL format.
Remember, he is being impeded at the moment by the parliamentary campaigns where he is seeking to get reelected. On hindsight, however, I blame Dr Mulindwa to some extent for being so trusting.
During his reign as Fufa president, he made a huge mistake of trusting his ragtag lieutenants in form of Magogo and Justus Mugisha by offering them all international football symposiums, workshops and courses.
As a result, Magogo has become almost untouchable to the extent that even if he is reported at Caf, his influencers there cannot do anything.
The author is a football investor and SC Villa President Emeritus.
About the Author
