Key Information: The club is comfortably based at East High, with its present training facility made available by the kindness o...
Key Information:
The club is comfortably based at East High, with its present training facility made available by the kindness of the Mandela Group. The club currently has no source of income.
Ben Misagga, a former president of SC Villa and a close friend of mine, recently expressed his opinions publicly regarding the club's alleged decline and mismanagement of the Shs7b compensation from UNRA, which he believes is not being used appropriately.
He also expressed his opinions, which I found rather unappealing, regarding the club's current leadership, particularly criticizing the age of one board member, whom he believes is unable to propel the Club forward due to being too old, while also labeling the current Executive as a mere figurehead.
It's unfortunate that Misagga, with the utmost respect, is incorrectly informed about the current situation at the club. I have watched nearly all of Villa's Premier League matches over the past four seasons, including those played in the current season.
I'm not certain when Misagga last saw a Villa match, but I can confirm that I saw him at the club's final game of the 2022/23 season, which Villa lost to URA and eventually led to Vipers Soccer Club winning the league title. I also saw the game where Villa defeated Nec to secure the 2023/24 league title.
It is clear that certain opinions opposing SC Villa and its present leadership are theoretical perspectives that have no connection to the actual situation within the club.
It is crucial that the public receives correct information. Villa did not receive Shs7b as compensation for the Villa Park training ground. Instead, it received a much smaller amount, slightly over Shs3bn, which, by God's grace, has been properly handled by the current president and his team.
This funds are now significantly higher than what the club received. It is very likely that without the strong leadership and business skills of the club's president, his executive team, and the Board of Trustees, this money would have already been lost.
The fact that Ben claims the Club received Shs7b indicates that he sometimes acts without sufficient caution and fails to conduct proper investigation as one would expect from a former club president.
The honesty and structure of the current Board of Trustees, along with the prudent leadership of the club president, are directly responsible for the Club's achievements so far.
Although there remains much to accomplish, fans who have followed Villa's matches this season concur that the team is showcasing outstanding football and gradually returning to its former level from twenty years ago.
This enhancement stems from efforts such as timely payment of athletes' salaries, hiring competent technical and medical staff, dedication from the players, and numerous other elements.
When the current executive assumed their position, the team members were owed more than four (4) months of unpaid salaries.
The club had outstanding debts to various suppliers exceeding Shs600m. M/s Lusaka Commodities Ltd, a company linked to Misagga, was one of the club's creditors. It requested payment from the club amounting to Shs300m.
This request was followed by the executive who asked the company to provide supporting documents regarding this debt and account details where the payment to the club was directed. To date, these documents have never been provided. It is possible that the club owed money to Lusaka Commodities.
Regrettably, this debt could not be confirmed as the Claimant was unable to provide evidence for it. Under the current leadership, you will no longer encounter such debts.
Many of the club's supporters are familiar with the dispute caused by an organization known as M/s S.C Villa Jogoo (U) Limited. This is an entity that has no connection to SC Villa, the football team, except for sharing the same name. It has separate owners who are not part of the club's membership.
It is puzzling why SC Villa was paired with an unknown party that has actually registered the club's logo as its trademark under trademark number UG/T/2016/56500 in class 25.
I don't need to specify who was Villa's president when this mark was registered, but I am confident it wasn't Hajji Omar Madela. Your assumption about who led the club at that time is just as accurate as mine. This is the situation that the current club president and his team are currently handling.
We have to acknowledge that without the keen management of the club's affairs by the current leadership, Villa would already be gone. The claim that the club's current Executive is just a rubber stamp is completely untrue.
Just like any organization, the club has leaders who manage its activities. The executive team meets regularly to address issues related to the club.
The president and his executive team are jointly accountable for the decisions taken by the club. If, as Ben claims, the club's management operates as a one-person operation, such meetings would never be held.
I believe it is dangerous to be fixated on the Shs3b that the government provided to Villa as compensation for its training facility.
The club is comfortably based at East High, with its present training facility made available by the kindness of the Mandela Group. The club currently has no source of income.
The club's current leadership considers generating a revenue source as their highest priority, since the ticket sales from matchdays are insufficient and fail to cover the club's daily expenses.
If the club's current spending is any indication, the Shs3b would have already been spent. However, the funds are still available and generating interest daily as the club's management works on finalizing details regarding the strategy for utilizing this money.
I understand the urge to spend when funds are accessible. Fortunately for Villa, this temptation has been effectively managed so far. A solid strategy is in place for handling the money, and this is the least of the club's current concerns.
The current emphasis is on developing the club's youth teams to provide a steady stream of players for the senior squad. The club aims to create a reliable pipeline of young, skilled, well-educated, and disciplined athletes.
This is supported by the club's collaboration with sports-focused secondary schools and the recent hiring of an experienced Serbian youth football coach, Jelusic Veselin, who has more than 30 years of expertise.
Jelusic has now been overseeing Villa's youth teams. Misagga is certainly a devoted supporter of the club and a genuinely good person with a deep love for football.
He is fully aware of the demands of leading a Football Club in Uganda, having previously served as a President at Villa and as one of the top officials at Nyamityobola, which has since faded into obscurity.
If Misagga's expertise in managing football finances and matters had been outstanding, Nyamityobola would not be in its current position.
Villa has made substantial advancements. This development is only achievable through the contributions of certain individuals within the club's leadership who use their own money to back local footballers, thereby generating jobs and offering a pathway for these players to pursue professional careers.
Let's stand behind people such as Hajji Omar Mandela, Lawerence Mulindwa, and others of similar type, and motivate them to keep contributing to Ugandan Football – not even investing since there is no return on investment in football within this nation.
Isaac Walukagga - The writer is a supporter of Sport Club Villa.
