Suspended Mbarara keeper Kimera accused of match-fixing

Talk of match fixing in Ugandan football has regained momentum this season with various stakeholders having their say on the vice.

KCCA manager Mike Mutebi in January received a four-match touchline ban for what was described as “throwing the game into disrepute” after he alleged that the 20 league titles won before he joined KCCA in 2015 were fixed.
Last week, social media was awash with allegations that the Cranes had fixed their final Afcon qualifier against Tanzania after suffering a 3-0 loss.

On Wednesday evening, Mbarara issued a statement and later suspended goalkeeper Ali Kimera “as a result of widespread allegations of match fixing from fans and several stakeholders in the football fraternity,” read in part a statement signed by the club CEO Fred Mugalu.

“As Mbarara City Football Club we do not condone such vices of match fixing and thus we can’t keep a deaf ear amidst all these allegations leveled against you. We do believe in honesty, integrity and transparency,” the statement further read.
Kimera was at fault for both goals as Mbarara suffered a 2-1 loss against relegation threatened SC Villa.

First he chipped the ball straight at Albert Mugisa who scored Villa’s opening goal before spilling a tame low cross from John Adriko to allow Ronald Magwari tap in the second.

“Everyone makes mistakes but for me I think it was just a bad day. I haven’t spoken to him because his phone has been switched off,” his captain Hillary Mukundane who missed the game told Daily Monitor.

This is the second match-fixing incident involving the club this season with current Mbarara coach Livingstone Mbabazi threatening to resign last month.

This was after a section of fans accused him of fixing the 2-1 home loss to Onduparaka.

Last season there was also a widely held belief that Mbarara were on the receiving end of soft penalties in the second half of the season as they avoided relegation.