KCCA FC has maintained its decision to boycott their Replay against Onduparaka FC scheduled for Thursday this week. KCCA FC abandoned the match in December last year during an extra time when the fans of the Arua based premier league side invaded the pitch protesting the award of a penalty to KCCA.
Both sides had scored two goals by the time the game was at the Green Light Stadium.
Both sides were looking for a winning goal in the extra time when the centre referee Robert Madanda awarded KCCA FC a penalty after their striker Brian Aheebwa was fouled in the penalty area. This enraged the players of Onduparaka FC and their fans alike.
Consequently, Police used live bullets to disperse the protesters and restore calm. A few days after, the FUFA Competitions Disciplinary (CDP) panel ordered a replay of the game after conducting investigations into the abandoned match. However, the Lugogo based club rejected the decision.
In a press statement, KCCA FC said that the sanctions were not in tandem with what is stipulated in the rule book drafted and shared by the local soccer governing body.
“These sanctions are in effect not only setting aside the rule book drafted and shared by the Federation (FA), but also a pat on the back of perennial offenders and the reward to hooliganism by gifting a second bite at the cherry,” KCCA FC said in the letter.
They appealed the decision before the FUFA appeals committee.
Now, one day to the game, KCCA FC through their CEO, Anisha Muhoozi, say they will not honour the game before they get a response from the Appeals Committee. “We are hereby guided that we are unable to honour this fixture as we await the determination of our appeal presented to the FUFA Appeals body,” she said.
In response, the FUFA Appeals committee noted that KCCA FC failed to produce enough evidence for the appeals committee to overturn the decision made by the Disciplinary Committee.
“Upon critical analysis of the grounds of appeal filed by KCCA Football Club against the decision of the FUFA Competitions Disciplinary Panel passed on the 31st December 2022.
The Committee found that NO sufficient evidence was presented by KCCA FC to convince the Committee to overturn the decision of the Competitions Disciplinary Panel.
Consequently, the appeal filed by KCCA FC did not succeed and as a result, the decision of the Competitions Disciplinary Panel passed on the 31st December 2021 is maintained in its entirety,” reads the February 1, 2022 response.
The KCCA FC CEO, Anisha Muhoozi made a rejoinder to the response from the FUFA Appeals Committee. “Reference is made to the decision received today about the KCCA FC appeal against the decision of CDP as per decision number above.
We hereby request the grounds and reasoning of the entire decision as per guidance shared in the appeal,” KCCA FC responded.
FUFA is yet to respond to the fresh request from KCCA FC. Onduparka FC says that are ready to face KCCA FC in the replay at Bombo Military Barracks playground.