This arrangement seemed to work for some weeks but on July 29 when Lutwa toppled Obote’s government, it caught many football stakeholders unawares. That morning at Nakivubo, BOU FC was taking on Jinja-based Tobacco FC when overzealous Lutwa soldiers stormed the stadium and stealthily went straight to the office of John Odyek, the stadium manager.
Some fans in the pavilion quickly dispersed but those in kirussia were oblivious of what was happening. In fact, the game went on normally but as more and more soldiers poured in, everyone started contemplating the next move.
The sound of gunshots as the soldiers forcefully opened the safe caused pandemonium to break out in the stadium. Fans scattered for the exits as terrified players stormed off the pitch in an uncoordinated way.
The soldiers took all the money from the safe – believed to have been stored for weeks – as a hapless Odyek pleaded for his life. In the confusion, Tobacco FC star player Ismael Taban found himself isolated from the team. He hooked a ride back to Jinja.
But on the way aboard a private car, it was shot at by fleeing Obote soldiers in Mabira forest, leading to Taban’s instant death when one of the bullets hit him in the chest.
The following day, Fufa announced the indefinite suspension of the league as the city faced a lockdown similar to what is taking place at the moment. It took a full month before a sense of normalcy returned in late August and Fufa found it prudent to resume the league.
However, it became apparent that Masaka Union could not make it to Kampala for games and neither would Kampala-based teams travel there. The reason; NRA soldiers had cut off the region at Katonga.
To mitigate the situation, Fufa ordered the league to go ahead without Masaka Union on the promise that it would not be relegated at the end of the season. Somehow, league action continued, mostly without fans, as the tense security situation escalated.
That, however, came at a cost for SC Villa midfield maestro Shaban Mwinda, who was gunned down in Mengo while returning to his home after a league match.
Thereafter, Fufa considered to halt the league but there was an overwhelming urge to complete it before the situation worsened. The league ended in November with KCC winning the title while Express took the Uganda Cup.
bzziwa@observer.ug