SC Villa get their Namboole wish
SC Villa management and fans breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday 14th August 2024 afternoon after last ditch talks salvaged their CAF Champions League preliminary first leg match against the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE).
Following last-ditch negotiations that saved their CAF Champions League preliminary first-leg match against the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE), SC Villa management and supporters exhaled with relief on Wednesday 14th August 2024 afternoon.
Until then, the encounter was shrouded in uncertainty after Mandela National Stadium (MNS), Namboole on July 30 told Villa in a letter that they would be able to host them due to the ongoing renovations. Laying of the tartan track was the main reason.
While they did not meet the UPDF Engineering Brigade, who are the main contractors, the Villa officials met with a subcontractor, who reiterated NMS’ earlier stance in the letter.
With the situation fast degenerating into desperation, the State minister for Sports, Peter Ogwang – while opening the Afcon 2025 offices in Lugogo on Tuesday – promised to meet Villa, Namboole management and the UPDF the following day for a way forward.
That meeting finally happened at Namboole on Wednesday and after long deliberations punctuated by Ogwang and Villa president Omar Mandela stepping out to make or answer phone calls at different intervals, it was agreed that the match would proceed.
“Measures have been agreed upon to be undertaken for us to protect the work that is ongoing and successfully play the match within the arena without any undue interruptions,” Villa CEO William Nkemba said after the meeting.
Asked what the actual guidelines had been agreed upon in the meeting, Nkemba said “for now I know that we will have a meeting (another) that will get down to the details of accessibility to the stadium.”
The UPDF engineer overseeing the Namboole renovation, Lt. Col. Peter Kidemuka, was seen greeting minister Ogwang earlier on at Namboole but told Daily Monitor later in the day that he did not personally attend the meeting.
