A Uganda Premier League game between KCCA FC and Onduparaka that was abandoned on Monday December 27, 2021 will be replayed, according to a ruling by the Federation of Uganda’s Football Associations- FUFA.
The match was abandoned in extra time after Onduparaka supporters invaded the pitch in protest of a decision by the referee to award a penalty to KCCA.Both sides had scored two goals by the time the game at the Green Light Stadium was abandoned.
As the two sides were looking for a winning goal in added time, Referee Robert Madanda awarded a penalty to the visitors after striker Brian Aheebwa was fouled in the penalty area. But his decision was disputed by Onduparaka players and fans. Consequently, Police were forced to fire live bullets to disperse the protesting fans.
Now, the FUFA Competitions Disciplinary Panel –CDP has decided that the results of the game do not stand valid and that the game should be replayed.
“The CDP hereby orders a REPLAY of Match #101 between Onduparaka FC vs KCCA FC which shall enable the results of the match to be determined sportingly. The above replay shall be at a neutral venue already licensed for the Uganda Premier League matches. The venue and date of the replay shall be decided and communicated by the Uganda Premier League Secretariat”. Part of the statement reads
In the same development, Onduparaka will lose two points and two goals to be deducted from their already accumulated scores for breaching several articles of the FUFA Competitions Rules against acts of hooliganism, abandonment of a match, order and security both inside and outside the stadium before, during and after matches.
“Whereas the Competitions Rules and Regulations provide for a deduction of three (3) points and three (3) goals for the intense hooliganism and violence, Onduparaka FC is hereby sanctioned with; an immediate deduction of two (2) points and two (2) goals from those already accumulated by the club; a suspended one (1) point and one (1) goal deduction and a suspended closed stadium sanction for home games”.
In its decision, the Referees Disciplinary Panel also suspended referee Robert Mandanda whose decision to give KCCA FC a penalty sparked off all the chaos at Greenlight stadium, he was suspended for six months without taking part in any football-related activity.
“The Referees Disciplinary Panel found that the Centre Referee Madanda Ronald failed to justify the poor officiating which gravely affected match number 101 and he is hereby sanctioned with; A suspension from officiating football at all levels until June 30, 2022 for unjustified poor officiation, the suspension comes into force immediately”.
Meanwhile, Onduparaka player Rashid Okocha and CEO Edison Saba Saba were also suspended from football-related activities. Okocha’s suspension starts December 31, 2021 until May 31, 2022 together with a Cash fine of 1 million Shillings. FUFA says the player attacked a match official and is a repetitive offender.
CEO Edson Saba Saba was also suspended from football-related activities for 90 days. According to FUFA, the preliminary investigations conducted and with support of the match report indicate that Edson Saba Saba incited violence amongst the fans by telling them not to get out of the field of play and he protested the penalty with threatening words and gestures.
This is however not the first time, Saba Saba is facing suspension, in April 2021, The FUFA Competitions Disciplinary Panel Chaired by Deo Mutabazi suspended him for two consecutive matches after finding him guilty of using foul words against center referee Sabilla Ali Chelangat during a Uganda premier league game between Onduparaka and Wakiso Giants FC at Kabaka Kyabaggu sports stadium on April 17, 2021
