Villa versus BUL replay sets a tricky precedent in Ugandan football 

I was very upset a few weeks ago when my Villa got controversially eliminated from the Uganda Cup at the hands of BUL FC after our would-be equalizer was struck out for offside.

It is one of those decisions that exposed the ineptitude of the referees, but I didn’t want to read too much into the situation because they happen so often in domestic football.

However, I remembered that no club has endured more victimization in Ugandan football than Villa, but as much as I tried to link the situation to a witch-hunt, the enthusiasm and sportsman in me pointed to a human error, which is understandable.

So, I gave the officials the benefit of the doubt that it could have happened to any other club. I moved on, but just before the dust could settle, the Fufa Competitions Disciplinary Panel (CDP) directed that the tie be replayed.

I was elated that justice had been delivered, but in hindsight, I am wondering where this is leading us to. The Villa match was televised, and it was from the replays that the CDP decided Villa’s goal should have stood. Good verdict.

The question remains, what will happen to games where there is no video footage or where the video footage is contested?

How will teams raise complaints without video evidence? More still, would the decision have gone BUL’s way had they been the victim?

All these issues raise serious questions about CDP’s decision because there is a risk it could be interpreted as a Villa-induced decision. Which may not be the case.

It is from this background that I suggest the need for all-encompassing rules and regulations, because we all know that football decisions on the pitch are never 100 per cent correct, but it is the circumstances that determine the final outcome.

In this case, Villa has greatly benefited from the authorities that run the game, but there are no guarantees other clubs can get justice like Villa.

Boardroom decisions remain subjective without properly laid-out rules to follow. It also opens a Pandora’s box for silverware contenders who feel aggrieved.

So, the biggest question from the Villa decision re- mains; under what circumstances will the CDP apply the rules and at what inconvenience? Then again, who foots the extra bills for both clubs when the error was from the officials?

Tellingly, the CDP did not propose any disciplinary measures for the match officials involved, which means that we should get used to such decisions.

In short, all this makes a mockery of the Villa decision because it does not address the injustices clubs go through.

The author is SC Villa first vice president in charge of mobilisation