The CAF Champions League qualifier between SC Villa and Ethiopia’s Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE), set for Saturday, August 17, has been cleared to proceed at Namboole Stadium after high stakes drama.
This decision follows a series of high-stakes meetings on Wednesday, involving top officials, amidst fears that the match might be scrapped due to ongoing stadium renovations.
The saga began on Tuesday when Lt. Col. Eng. Peter Seku Kidemuka, the chief engineer overseeing Namboole’s renovations, dropped a bombshell, declaring the stadium unsuitable for the match.
His shocking announcement—citing the unfinished and wet running track— came after Villa had already advertised the game.
Panic gripped SC Villa officials, as the prospect of looking for an alternative venue and facing CAF ban at worst, loomed large.
Earlier, SC Villa were denied by the Namboole management to use the stadium, just like CAF Confederation Cup representative Kitara FC.
With no other viable options, the club made a desperate plea to the State Minister for Sports, Hon. Peter Ogwang, urging him to intervene.
Ogwang, who was abroad in Paris is said to have granted Villa permission to use the stadium after the club persisted – this website has failed to confirm on this allegation however.
And when the crisis erupted with Kidemuka’s strong remarks, who even went ahead to say that Villa would not be permitted into Namboole unless they were dropped into the stadium by a chopper, Minister Ogwang immediately swung into action and called for an emergency meeting at Namboole to broker a solution.
On Wednesday morning, with tension in the air and the future of Villa’s Champions League dreams hanging in the balance, Minister Ogwang arrived at Namboole around 9am.
The stakes were sky-high as he was met by Engineer Kidemuka, who briefed him on the dire situation and reaffirmed his stand. As the clock ticked, Ogwang surveyed the ongoing works at the stadium, witnessing firsthand the ongoing struggle to lay the tartan track, the latest obstacle in the renovation project.
What followed was a day of frantic negotiations, as Ogwang and Kidemuka locked horns in a battle of wills.
The engineer, explained the challenges they faced, as narrated by Ogwang: “Every time it rains, work has to stop. The tartan rubber being laid on the track is particularly vulnerable, and even a single misstep could undo days of progress.” The urgency of the situation was palpable as workers toiled tirelessly, even through the night, to try and meet the deadline.
About an hour later, SC Villa CEO William Nkemba arrived at the stadium to join the fray, and what followed was a marathon negotiating session, as all parties sought to find common ground.
Minister Ogwang briefly left the two parties to find a solution, as he attended to a FEASSSA flag-off ceremony that lasted for about an hour.
Meanwhile, Villa president Hajji Omar Mandela and Club secretary Afande Kassim Nziraguhunga also rushed to the scene, adding more seriousness to the discussions.
As the hours ticked by, the fate of the match remained uncertain.
Minister Ogwang, at the moment was caught between a rock and a hard place, saying. “On one hand, we need this game to go ahead; on the other, the construction work is critical, and any delay could have serious consequences. The contractor has been stopped repeatedly—from test matches to World Cup qualifiers and also the Rugby Africa Cup —and now he’s facing another disruption.”
Despite the mounting pressure, Ogwang remained resolute, determined to find a solution that would satisfy both the demands of the construction project and the hopes of Villa who carries the National flag on the Continent.
Kidemuka was not around at the conclusion of the last meeting, having left earlier to Luwero for another important project.
After over an hour of intense closed-door discussions, punctuated by moments of high drama as individuals stepped out to make phone calls, probably speaking to powers that be, the breakthrough finally came.
Emerging from the meeting, a visibly relieved Nkemba delivered the news that Villa fans and the football fraternity in general had been desperately hoping for. “We have just concluded a productive meeting where various aspects were discussed,” he announced, and true to his statement, his voice clearly portrayed the tension of the day.
“We are pleased to announce that our upcoming game against CBE will proceed as planned this Saturday at Namboole Stadium at 4pm.”
Nkemba did not reveal a few details of the hard-won agreement, but said that they have reached a consensus on implementing essential measures to safeguard the ongoing renovation work at the stadium, ensuring a successful and uninterrupted match day experience.
He added that the discussions about measures that will enable the Club to protect the progress made so far while allowing the game to take place without any undue disruptions or risks to the construction site, will be held on Thursday.
The high-stakes negotiations, and the rest which had threatened to derail the match, ended in victory for SC Villa—thanks in part to the timely intervention of Minister Ogwang, but how much SC Villa will cough, will be a story for another day.
For now, the blame game should be paused, and the focus turn to Saturday’s action as the League champions return on the Continent after a nine-year wait.
https://sportsnation.co.ug/2024/08/15/namboole-sc-villa-cleared-after-intense-last-minute-negotiations/
