Fufa drops the ball in refereeing fiasco

Could a refereeing malaise that has been simmering on the fringes for years be finally boiling to the surface in Uganda? The tough regime of sanctions Fufa meted out on referees (Ronald Kirangwa and company) that took up the whistle and flags as Express FC shared the spoils with Vipers SC in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League has only amplified what many deem a cancer.
Indeed, contrary to widely held belief, it is not pulsingly odd for Fufa to slap referees with bans ranging from six months to five years even before the ink on the match commissioner’s report dries. If anything, it is something strikingly original. Not so long ago, a messy plot unraveled fast when William Oloya disallowed a genuine goal Derrick Nsibambi had scored for KCCA FC against Kirinya Jinja SSS.
To extricate itself from what for all intents and purposes looked like an awkward embrace, Fufa sanctioned Oloya for a year. The punishment sat oddly with many observers who thought Fufa should have felt a stab of regret at its severity. The purported deterrent effect of the heavy sentence was widely seen as being a few notches beyond terrifying. That though was a tip of the iceberg.

What showed Fufa in the most unflattering light is it didn’t and continues not to have a well thought out system of reward and punishment.
Just like the fading of afternoon into evening, referees are bound to make mistakes. While chalking off a genuine goal is sure to have adverse effects on a team’s chances, it is highly improbable that you will see a referee in, say, the English Premier League being banned for the odd mistake.

Such an action is seen as rather too highhanded. The merit system in such places will probably have an errant referee suffer the ignominy of officiating a second tier match.
Fufa on its part always ensures that there is some muscle behind its threat in the most grotesque manner. What is even the more baffling is that the local football governing strongly reprimands referees like Oloya and Kirangwa who have great potential. Basket cases like Robert Donney meantime walk away with a proverbial slap on the wrist.
A few years back, Donney was handed a three-month ban that played out in the off season. This was after his unwarranted confidence and impudence saw him press the wrong buttons in a Cup final pitting sworn rivals SC Villa and KCCA FC. The ban was as damning an indictment as the decision to have him officiate the match in the first place.
This column has always urged Fufa to put in place a framework that upholds the element of reward and punishment. Whilst different episodes are sure to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, throwing the baby out with the bathwater should never been an option. Especially if you continue to wine and dine with Donney as indeed Fufa does!

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Mutyaba’s struggles show how hard comebacks can be

A colossal number of people find tellingly attractive the dictum that holds that mistakes of the past need not dictate the future. And rightly so. It is, however, unseemly that most — if not all — of the said people know remarkably little about the past not being a good guide of the future.
Different sports have for instance provided a plausible picture that suggests coming out of retirement is such as preposterous notion. Think Björn Borg’s failed comeback from 1991 to 1993 when his wooden racket failed to provide cutting edge directions during the dawn of its graphite opposite number.

There were various moments, some good, none great, some terrible as the 11-time grand slam winner unsuccessfully tried to turn back the hands of time.
Although his was not as sobering a jolt as the one suffered by Borg, Michael Jordan’s comeback with the Washington Wizards from 2001 to 2003 was replete with absurdities (mind says yes, body says no episodes) and brilliances (he passed the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in All-Star Game history).
From Borg to Jordan, there is always the danger that an attempt at a comeback will provide a lot of hot air but no liftoff. And so has been the case with Sulaiman Mutyaba. His two topflight league matches with KCCA FC have made it excruciatingly obvious that a sell-by date could well have been passed. It was what many forecasted when Mutyaba came out of retirement and signed on the dotted line with the Kasasiro Boys in the off season. He had to not only disabuse himself of any plans to be a Fifa player’s agent/intermediary, but also show that he mattered in the here and now on the pitch.
Rather than prompt swooning reactions, Mutyaba’s performances have had a descent that have carried with it lingering disquiet. Although it is early days yet, the damage from the lacklustre performances could be lasting. It all started when the attacking midfielder pulled up injured after coming off second best following a collision with a Bright Stars player.

This past week, most troublingly of all, Mutyaba looked like a square peg in a round hole as KCCA FC won a chaotic derby against SC Villa 3-2. By the time he was put out of his misery at half-time, a missed sitter had seen the veteran player’s stock drop rather precipitously.
Mutyaba inexhaustible talents have never been in doubt since he broke out as a shy, slight child who rarely spoke and tried not to be noticed. Once he found his voice and feet, his skill set — so perfectly put together — got him on the books of African titans TP Mazembe.

He could have scored the goal that took Uganda to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals only to be denied by Kenya’s Arnold Origi.
When he retired last February, shortly after watching Uganda play in its first Afcon finals in nearly four decades, the general assessment was that his was a classic case of unfulfilled potential. One more twist was to come. Mike Mutebi dangled a chance to enjoy an Indian summer, which Mutyaba needed little invitation to accept. It is, however, looking less like an Indian summer and more like a winter of discontent. Borg, the ice man, is furiously holding onto a wooden racket. All could change though.