)
A continuation of our earlier story that seeks to highlight the score of match-fixing in the FUFA Eastern Region Football Association and the chaos that has ensued, threatening to take someone's life.
The fracas and allegations did not end with the Mbale Garage 1-4 Admin game; there was more to come!
Violence
Trouble ensued in another fixture involving Busia United and Admin.
09:07 - 04.05.2023
FOOTBALL The game that cannot be trusted: the Mbale Heroes-Admin Saga
FUFA's Eastern Uganda Region Football Association is under the spotlight for allegations of match-fixing that is threatening to throw football into chaos.
According to comments by the same Wamududa, Admin allegedly attempted to bribe Busia United to give away their match that had been scheduled for April 18th.
The match that was to be played at the Madibira Grounds witnessed some early showers that delayed the kick-off; however, the fixture was not played as the visitors claimed a need for more security.
Fans reportedly attacked the referees after refusing to allow the kickoff.
)
11:11 - 03.05.2023
SUPL FUFA suspends six players, two referees over match-fixing
FUFA claims to have received confidential reports, confessions from individuals as well as studied the available ata from the Match Integrity reports.
“The fact is that there was no security but they (ERFA Competitions Disciplinary Panel) used rain as an excuse to reschedule the match,” Henry Owori, Admin’s president, opened up to Pulse Sports.
The Region’s Competitions Disciplinary Panel headed by Abdu Salaamu rescheduled the match to Wednesday, May 3rd, at 10 AM behind closed doors and ordered Busia to buy a new set of referees’ uniforms and two flags for the referee’s assistants.
“The referees were beaten by the home fans and their uniforms were torn,” Owori, who was at the scene, says.
More chaos
The match was played on Wednesday but the fracas started even before the referee’s whistle.
The CDP’s ordered to be replayed behind closed doors but according to our source, several intruders forced their way in.
They include Gaddafi FC president Lt. Edrine Ochieng who has had a thing for Admin. The others are a section of Mbale Heroes administrators.
Admin deny that they gave Lt. Ochieng their slot while the host said he was part. Busia deny that they had Mbale Heroes officials but Owori alleges that he saw one of them with shs.2 million that the Mbale side had brought to motivate Busia.
The match went on as scheduled but chaos broke towards the end; as the game seemed to be retiring into a barren draw, the centre referee Bashir Dawo awarded a penalty to Admin with the last kick of the game.
Busia United protested for some minutes but later allowed it to be taken as Davis Bukomba converted it before rowdy fans breached the security and invaded the pitch, protesting the decision.
Mayor at gunpoint
According to our sources, the battle with police started as they roughed up the officials they felt had been influenced.
During the fracas, Busia Municipality mayor Sadiq Agere reportedly entered the fray to stop the chaos.
“I don’t know where sports is going,” Agere, the Busia Municipality mayor, narrates the ordeal that nearly cut his life short.
“Somebody in civilian drew a pistol and wanted to shoot me!
“We were seated but all of a sudden there was chaos with some people claiming for a penalty as others opposed but, as a leader, I went in to calm the situation,” the mayor continues;
“then somebody just jumped in and started fighting then removed a pistol and I wondered if that was a war. Then people intervened and asked why he wanted to shoot the mayor and that’s when police intervened and disarmed him.
The mayor explained that he was called in to calm the situation which he managed.
Bloody end
We could not reach Lt. Ochieng by press time as his known phone numbers went unanswered but Owori admitted that both of them were attacked and beaten.
“Ochieng came on his own but at least for those who know him, he cannot just pull a gun for no reason!
“That mayor is the one who opened the gate for fans to come and beat us. Ochieng intervened because they were beating one of our people very badly to almost killing him and the police were doing nothing about it,” Owori says.
The club president says that the rumours about his club fixing games are unfounded but also threw in allegations that Mbale Heroes fixes games.
“We went to Mbale and beat Mbale Heroes. They were just from fixing a game with Busia Fisheries where they beat them 7-0!
When asked about the evidence, he said: “People have evidence, do you think there’s any other team that uses more money than Heroes to fix games?”
The two teams face each other on Saturday but this reporter has seen screenshots of both sides sending threats from beating up each other to the extreme where some are talking machetes.
The onus is now on FUFA to investigate the matter and resolve the biting issue because Pulse Sports could not establish whether the games involve money on the bookmakers or not.
Related content
09:07 - 04.05.2023
FOOTBALL The game that cannot be trusted: the Mbale Heroes-Admin Saga
FUFA's Eastern Uganda Region Football Association is under the spotlight for allegations of match-fixing that is threatening to throw football into chaos.
)
06:26 - 04.05.2023
FBL Who will emerge top in the FUFA Big League race?
As the FUFA Big League enters the final lane, Kitara, Mbarara City and NEC lead the pack and need to be steady at home.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)