For football’s sake let Magogo ride a boda boda

It has been a nail biting year-end in the Ugandan Premier League and the German Bundesliga. In a very long time the winner was decided on the final day.

In Uganda two teams, Vipers SC and KCCA FC had 50 points while SC Villa led with 52 points. Notably Vipers, then KCCA had a superior goal difference i.e. the difference between what one scores and what they conceded.

The permutations. With all playing in different locations, if all won, drew or lost it was for Villa. If Villa lost and the others drew or won, Vipers would take it.

If Vipers and Villa lost and KCCA won it was theirs etc. Vipers and KCCA won, Villa lost, so Vipers celebrated.

Meanwhile in Germany, Borussia Dortmund had 70 points while Bayern Munich had 68, but with a better goal difference. If Dortmund won (as expected based on form and the weakness of the opponent) it was theirs, even if Bayern won by 100 goals.

If Dortmund drew and Bayern won, the latter would take home an undeserved 11th consecutive Meisterschale -as the well designed plate like trophy is called -for they have never played so badly and been so chaotic in a long time.

Dortmund decided to do the unthinkable and snatch defeat from deep in the throat of victory. They fell behind Mainz FC by two goals, fluffed a penalty but equalized very late -when it was too late. 

The drama though was that as they equalized putting them at 71 points, Bayern who had taken an early lead were at some point leveled by Koln FC dragging them from 71 points to 69.

Then Jamal Musiala came on as a substitute and scored the winner for Bayern, putting them at 71, ending Dortmund’s campaign in tears.

Last day suspense dramas present the football federations and their sponsors with dilemmas of where to take the trophy since it is best for all those involved that they get their award before the sweat dries on their bodies.

Because like life, football is many times painfully unpredictable, the most efficient and cost conscious  ways must be devised to achieve this feat.

In Germany’s case the authentic trophy was taken to Dortmund while a replica or ‘fake’ one was sent 94 kms away to where Bayern were in FC Koln’s choke hold most of the time.

Then ‘Bayern dusel,’ (translated as Bayern luck which includes awful decisions against their competitors,) came to life. But it is not such a bad thing.

In most football competitions a winner, even with the FIFA World Cup, gets to keep the original for a period while they bask in their achievement.

They then return it to the FA and are given a replica for keeps as a physical stamp of their accomplishment and bragging rights, in their trophy cabinet. So in Bayern’s case the original trophy was delivered after match day, without a hustle.

In Uganda the FA with the help of sponsors, decided to hire a helicopter to deliver our modest trophy to the Vipers in Kitende.

The FA President who I am told is a very well meaning, modest, magnanimous and amiable man was crammed complete with earmuffs in the back of the noisy contraption, to deliver the holy grail in style.

He looked elated in a video selfie like he had made a statement about modernizing Ugandan football.

It’s humbling when one looks at the German Football Association, a.k.a the Deutscher Fussball Bund (DFB), then at our Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA.)

The German DFB is one of the most successful FAs. It is known for efficiency but most especially frugality and prudence with money.

The DFB superintends over a league that does not attract superstars because it is considered anathema to spend beyond one’s means or even to spend too much like it casually happens in Spain, England, France, and Italy.

They would rather save and buy cheap or develop modest players in their academies.

Yet The DFB is one of the largest sports federations in the world with over 25,000 clubs and 6.8 million members.

It is heavily sponsored by global giants like Adidas, Lufthansa, Coca Cola, Commerzbank, Bwin, Volkswagen etc.  

In the DFB trophy cabinet are 4 World Cup and 3 European Championships among others. They have been to 20 out of 22 FIFA men’s World Cup finals where they have not reached the quarter finals only 3 times. 

For 42 years between 1954 and 1996 the Men’s Senior Football team Die Deutsche Mannschaft had only five managers and each of them won a major trophy; World Cup or European Championship.

In terms of infrastructure Germany is one of the only countries that can hold a global football tournament at short notice because they have invested heavily in stadia and other sports facilities.

The reason they did this is partly a result of World War II which left many dejected, traumatised and introverted.

The authorities invested heavily in sports to bring people out of their homes and back to the sense of community.  

To maintain this they had to continuously invest in  infrastructure and also develop the talent to keep the people attracted to sport. So there is no money to waste in showing off. It is all for the game.

Our Ugandan FA that dabbles in malfeasance and mendicancy is wont to display opulence at the slightest behest.  

We fly abroad to play ‘at home’ because we do not have a FIFA suitable stadium. The players complain about pay. The less said about our expatriate coach and his achievements the better.

Charles Onyango-Obbo, writing his column A View From Boston in the Weekly Topic of November 22 1991, told the story of the President of Harvard University where he was on a fellowship.

He drove a Volkswagen at the time the University had reserves of over US$4 billion, yet the Chancellor of cash strapped and strike infested Makerere University was riding a top of the range Mercedes Benz.

Obbo said ‘great institutions as well as nations are built and nurtured by men and women who give to them (at least) more than they take away.’

He ‘advised’ the Makerere honcho to ride a bicycle. Because of the traffic jam and potholes the FUFA president next time should consider taking the trophy on a Boda Boda and save money for the game.

Nicholas Sengoba
Plainly speaking, 
Twitter: @nsengoba