Football pundit Aldrine Nsubuga who is currently the marketing director at StarTimes has blasted football governing body Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) for being Greedy and dishonest to Ugandans concerning the departure of the National team the Cranes coach Sabastian Desabre.

Aldrine, who in 2012 led Save Our Soccer (SOS) pressure group that called for the resignation of the regime at that time led by Lawrence Mulindwa over poor governace and mismanagement has warned that Magogo’s FUFA are lying about Desabre’s resignation.

Today morning, FUFA released a statement saying that Mr. Desabre Sebastien Serge Louis mutually agreed to terminate his contract.

“The reasons for termination of the employment contract are for the benefit and growth of both parties. FUFA recognises the contribution by Mr. Desabre for the improvement of the sporting and professional organisation of the Uganda Cranes inclusive of qualification to the AFCON 2019 Finals and also to the Round of 16,” the statement stated

“Mr. Desabre is grateful to the people and the Government of Uganda, FUFA, Sponsors, Staff and the players that have provided him a good environment to fulfill his obligations in his first time role as a National Team Coach.

FUFA will communicate any further development about the Uganda Cranes technical staff and future programmes of the National senior team in the nearest future,” the statement concluded.

ALDRINE BITTER

In response, Aldrine, via his Facebook page said, ” Desabre is out! Contract terminated.

By mutual consent.

The moment you see those words ‘mutual consent’ you know it wasn’t. It’s the language used in professional football purely for PR purposes.

It gives us the freedom and right to speculate. So we can begin now…..if you know something tell us. ‘Mutual consent’ is a white collar term used to cover ugly truths. Lets be wiser.. I will go first…

The money. The embarrassment. The dishonesty. One of the parties (FUFA or Desabre) must be guilty of committing one of those crimes which led to the pre-mature end.

Could it be Desabre who ate the.money? No.

Is it Desabre who embarrassed the nation? No.

Is it Desabre who has been dishonest? No.

Whatever Desabre has done, we saw on the pitch. Did we see everything that the players did? Yes we did..including the strike and the reasons were put in broad day light. There was nothing hidden.

That leaves FUFA – do we know everything that FUFA did behind the scenes? No we don’t. They are the only ones between the 3 parties whose actions and deeds were never fully known to the public.

Mutual.consent? Only a fool will believe that.

You think we have moved a step.in the right direction but then , as always, we conspire to kill our own progress.

Ugandan football loses another good man in the name of ? Greed. This is always the problem.. Now let me wait for the guns to be turned against me for speaking about this. It comes with the territory.

Now what do you know, tell us….we are all ears.”

MUSEVENI TO MEET PLAYERS

President Museveni will on Monday at 4pm host the Uganda Cranes contingent that returns home tomorrow from the 2019 AFCON tournament in Egypt to congratulate the team for its great performance that saw them make it to the knock out phase of the AFCON tournament for the first time since 1978.

The Cranes contingent will leave Cairo at 10.50pm on Sunday night and arrive in Entebbe on Monday morning aboard Egypt Air.

By Doreen Menezer

As the Uganda Cranes prepare to battle Senegal in the AFCON last 16, there are mixed reactions from Ugandans on news that the players are on strike over their allowances with some branding Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) president Eng. Moses Magogo a greedy man.

Yesterday afternoon, social media was awash with rumours that the players had refused to participate in any training session until their allowances are paid.

FUFA later confirmed the rumours in a statement released on their website but defended themselves saying, “On the 2nd July 2019, The Uganda Cranes did not undergo training after players opted not to despite a training programme released by the technical team.

FUFA has since engaged the players and confirmed that a complaint about emoluments as their cause of action. FUFA wishes to affirm that matters of the rights and obligations of the members of the Uganda Cranes at the AFCON 2019 inclusive of the allowances and bonuses of the team were discussed and agreed upon by the team and were put into a document called the Code of Conduct. Every member of the team signed the Code of Conduct before being allowed into the camp.”

In the same statement, FUFA released a financial structure on how each member of the Uganda Cranes will be paid in the Code of Conduct as follows;

Item                                                                                                USD

Camp in Uganda per day                                                            14 days 30

Foreign Camp (Abu Dhabi & Cairo) per day           53 days 150

Each Draw in the Group Stages                                                 2,000

Each Win in the Group Stages                                                   4,000

R16 to R8 (Winning @ R16)                                        1              5,000

R8 to R4 (Winning @ Quarter Final)                        1              7,000

R4 to R2 (Winning @ Semi Final)                              1              9,000

Winning the Final                                                        1              14,630

FUFA added that they have already paid the following amounts to each member

420 USD for the Camp in Uganda (14 days)

5,100 USD for the Foreign Camp (34 days ending 30th June 2019)

4,000 USD for the Winning Bonus of the DR Congo match

2,000 USD for the Draw against Zimbabwe

Far and beyond the Code of Conduct, FUFA has also paid extra 2,780 USD to each player for camp morale and 300 USD for the International friendly match against Ivory Coast.

“As of 2nd July 2019, each player has received up to 14,600 USD (App 55m UGX) already with more daily allowances and winning bonuses awaiting to be earned and paid on time.

According to FUFA, there is currently nothing owing to the players as per the signed Code of Conduct and more than 2 Billion UGX has been paid to this item alone.

This matter has been explained to the players and instead they have opted to renegotiate the terms of the Code of Conduct after qualifying to the round of 16 leading to the decision not to undergo training.

FUFA believes the players will respect the signed Code of Conduct and this matter will be resolved like many others before,” the statement from the country’s football governing body further stated.

MAGOGO IS A GREEDY MAN WHO DOES NOT RESPECT CONTRACTS

According to former SC Villa chairman Eng. Ben Misagga, Magogo is a man who does not respect contracts, “I have been vindicated, I have been posting and saying, Agreement signed with Magogo must be witnessed by the Bishop & Mufti, that boy doesn’t keep his word, players are not sick to claim what they have already gotten, Magogo is a habitual cheat who doesn’t respect contracts.”

Later when president Museveni’s Senior Press Secretary Don Wanyama posted that, “From what I gather, if the players refuse to train today (and by the way senior players like Onyango are against the strike), @OfficialFUFA president @Moses Magogo will have no option but write to @CAF_Online to withdraw Uganda from @TotalAFCON2019. Let greed not kill the game.”

Misagga answered him saying, “You haven’t read the last chapter of Magogo book

That strike is designed by Moses, no player can strike without Magogo consent. Ask Afande Nakalema you will get the true story, always at the peak of Crane campaigns FA has been in those games of intimidating Ugandans.”

The Nyamityobora club chairman added, “That’s how deceptive helm of FUFA do things, how can players strike when they have received what’s due to them. For you who don’t know Magogo, the strike is his design to intimidate the Government giving him more money, his “family” is in luxury in Cairo and Alexandria.”

“To those who don’t know Magogo, that strike is designed by moses to intimidate Ugandans& President M7 in sending baskets of money to him. Magogo uses a player I know to cause those hiccups, I was with him at Villa in the early days of my times. CAF 1.1 billion UGX 4.5 zadawa,” Misagga asked.

Misagga added that Magogo is busy enjoying the Cranes money with his bonkmate Della Ssali, “The “family” is enjoying the 4.5 billions as the cranes Camp strike. When you have a mufere incharge that’s what goes on. No one wants to say the truth. Magogo’s trick Now is to intimidate Ugandans and the HE into giving him extra money for the “family” to enjoy.”

By Doreen Menezer

Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church believes fellow Barcelona talisman and fellow Argentine Lionel Messi, “is not God”.

Many consider the mercurial South American to be a sporting deity, with his achievements raising the bar of individual excellence.

He is worshipped as a hero by millions around the world and has seen his record-breaking on-field efforts lead to him being showered with praise and major honours – both collective and individual.

A five-time Ballon d’Or winner may not seem human to some, but Pope Francis feels it is wrong to bestow labels of “God” onto those who are mere mortals.

Asked by Spanish television show Salvados on La Sexta whether such a billing for Messi could be considered sacrilegious, as it breaks the third commandment by using the Lord’s name in vain, Pope Francis said: “In theory, it’s a sacrilege.

“You can’t say it and I don’t believe it. I think people say ‘he is God’ just as they say ‘I adore you’. You have to adore only God. “It’s expressions that people use. This is a god with the ball on the pitch. It’s a popular way that people have of expressing themselves.

“Of course, it is a joy [to watch Messi play]. But he is not God.”

Pope Francis is known to be a football fan. He is a member at Argentinian side San Lorenzo, having been born and raised in Buenos Aires, and has mingled with stars of the sporting world in the past.

During the summer of 2013, Messi and the rest of the Albiceleste squad took in a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican.

Barcelona’s superstar forward told reporters the event was “short but beautiful”.

Messi and his international team-mates also sent a signed shirt to Pope Francis on the back of their display at the 2014 World Cup which saw them finish as runners-up to Germany. They are back in the trophy hunt for 2019, with the next staging of the Copa America in Brazil fast approaching.

Messi will be excepted to lead the charge once again for his country in that competition, as he waits on a first senior title with Argentina, but he has recently admitted that the pressure placed on his shoulders and the reaction of those in his homeland to his performances can be difficult to handle at times.

Additional reporting from Goal.com