Paidha can finally play at Barokoro Stadium
We Are Finally Coming Home. Paidha Junior Team players at one of their previous matches at Barokoro. The Bar Okoro playing field in Zombo, home to Paidha Black Angels FC, has finally been cleared by Fufa to host Uganda Premier League games. COURTESY PHOTO
KAMPALA. Until Thursday night, Paidha Black Angels were the only team amongst the 16 StarTimes Uganda Premier League (SUPL) sides that still played their home games on the road.
The 2018/19 season new entrants can now also enjoy rewards that come with playing in front of adoring home fans, as well as make the most of gate collections and cut out unnecessary travel costs.
The decision to finally play at home, 19 matches into the season, was reached at at the federation executive meeting that sat at Fufa House, Mengo in Kampala.
“Paidha Black Angels FC has been granted permission to use the stadium as their home venue to host official Fufa Competitions matches with immediate effect following a recommendation on special grounds by the Fufa Club Licensing Committee to the Executive Committee,” read a statement from Fufa.
Club licensing requirements
“However, the club is required to ensure that the minimum requirements for club licensing requirements are maintained for the rest of the season.”
Currently at the bottom of the table with just 10 points, Paidha attribute their struggles to having had no home advantage as they have hosted all their home games at Onduparaka’s Green Light Stadium.
Paidha’s Barokoro Stadium was one of a number of grounds that got a red alert from Fufa at the start of the season, but others like Mbarara City and Nyamityobora’s Kakyeka, plus Tooro’s Buhinga were, after some improvements, approved.
Some of the requirements to have before a stadium is approved for matches include an all-green turf, perimeter fence, sanitary facility, dressing room and physical seperation of fans.
“We fulfilled all the basic requirements and the first report we received from Fufa cleared all the above but advised that the turf was dominated by unwanted grass that needed weeding pre-clearence,” Paidha CEO Samuel Komakech earlier told Sunday Monitor before the latest communication from Fufa.
“The club, knowing they lose a lot of revenue and fans by travelling to play their home games 120km away from Paidha to Arua, worked within a short period of time and watered the turf maximally.
End of frustration
“Having Barokoro Stadium not cleared for use up to now is the greatest football injustice that has never happened in football history and frustration of the highest level.” Efforts to hear from Komakech on the latest good news from Fufa were, however, futile as his known phone number was off all day before we published.
Paidha fans carried placards and called out Fufa and president Moses Magogo to “stop injustice and clear our Barokoro Stadium” throughout their 2-1 defeat to Villa on Tuesday.
This latest development will now have them rest assured that their next home match, against fellow relegation strugglers Nyamityobora this Thursday, will be played at Borokoro.
