Shafic Kiyaga
Uganda Football Coaches Association (UFCA) has threatened to ban football coaches in the country and around the region from trading with Nyamityobora FC.
This follows a series of tweets by Ben Misagga, the president of the Mbarara-based side, directed at James Odoch after a 6-1 thumping by KCCA in a Uganda Premier League encounter on Sunday.
“It’s time to pack your bags and leave Nyamityobora; we cannot lose six goals to a weak team like KCCA,” tweeted Misagga after the game.
Before that, however, the outspoken businessman had tweeted: “When I don’t believe in you I stop talking to you. I stopped talking to Odoch long time after watching his training methods; I told him I will not watch your games again.”
Another tweet on Sunday read, ‘Odoch cannot March Nyamityobora FC technical works, within three days we shall give Nyamityobora another person who can measure to the challenge, I DON’T GROOM COACHES, Nyamityobora is not a learning process for coaching.’
It seems Misagga had a restless night, waking up Monday morning to write ‘I do appreciate that and thank him so much, a bodaboda rider can take you to Mengo but cant take you to Germany. We need a pilot and not a boda boda rider.’
Prior to the Sunday evening tweet, Odoch, who led Nyamityobora to top flight football this season, cited poorly motivated players to quit.
“I am no longer the head coach of Nyamityobora FC. I have tried but I think this is the right time to quit. It is very hard to work with poorly motivated players; I have tried my level best but in vain, imagine digging deep into my pockets to buy water and refreshments for the players on match day.”
The cyber bullying has now led UFCA to warn Misagga.
“We understand the management of the club has the rights to employ but our surprise was the way the chairman of Nyamityobora went ahead to post shaming and degrading tweets on the social media which are not only hurting our brother but also our profession as well,” a statement signed by Kaddu Badru Mukasa, the chief executive officer of UFCA reads in part.
UFCA now want Misagga to apologise to the association, fans, players, public and football fraternity for unbecoming behavior and language used towards coach Odoch.
“This communication (apology) must be done in the next 48 hours and failure to adhere to this will lead us to ban the entire football coaches in Uganda and the region around and internationally to trade with Nyamityobora Football Club,” the statement dated November 26 reads.
Misagga was yet to respond.
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