BUL, SC Villa controversial cup replay

It is a decision that has caused a storm in the game of football; the ruling to have the BUL-SC Villa Uganda Cup game replayed on Saturday, March 11.

Last month, the two teams clashed in Jinja with Bul prevailing 1-0 thanks to Ronald Otti’s strike in the sixth minute of the game. But the Fufa Competitions Disciplinary Panel nullified the result and ordered a replay after linesman Khalid Muyaga was adjudged to have inappropriately disallowed what would have been SC Villa’s equaliser in the 88th minute through Charles Bbale.

“After examining all the evidence presented, the CDP concluded that the assistant referees Khalid Muyaga’s decision to cancel the goal scored by Bbale was extraordinarily wrong,” the verdict of the CDP chaired by Deo Mutabazi read.

“The decision exceeded the degree of human error that is expected in the game and it is possible that if the goal was not cancelled, the results would have been different. The CDP hereby orders a replay.”

The decision was received in football quarters with mixed fortunes, with many observers wondering whether the verdict wasn’t setting a dangerous precedent as far as undermining the sanctity of the referees’ whistle is concerned.

SC Villa had lodged an appeal after Bbale’s seemingly legitimate goal was disallowed for offside. The Jogoos will be in buoyant mood having recovered from being a man down to defeat Express 2-1 in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League last Sunday, March 5.