By Ivan Kakembo
As you prepare for the return leg in Sudan (against Al Hilal in the CAF Champions League qualifier), I thought I would volunteer some important information for you to note from my experience from 2016
While at SC Villa, we played against Al Khartoum in the CAF Confederation Cup and I hoped I could share some of the off-field challenges you may face (in Sudan) and how you overcome them as you plan to overturn the results.
1. It’s a good practise to obtain Sudanese Entry clearance visas from their embassy here in Nakasero to avoid long waiting hours on arrival in Khartoum as that is their first point of frustration.
L-R: Patrick Ogwel, Ivan Kakembo (the author), Video Anyau (C), Villa captain Johnathan Mugabi and coach Ibrahim Kirya during the pre-match meeting in Sudan | Courtesy photo
2. To notify them through FUFA of your travel arrangements on time as they act fast to report to CAF so that you’re not fined for late arrival notification
3. To send an advance team well on time to arrange your accommodation, alternative training ground and local team transportation as they will try to prepare for you meals with a lot of pepper.
Try to deny access to training grounds and delay team transport even on the match day to disorganize your game plan and cause frustration.
For your information, they tried to pick us in saloon cars and pick-up trucks and even denied us match day transport but we were on top of our game especially with our leader of delegation Patrick Ogwel.
The SC Villa team in Sudan ahead of their qualifying game against Al Khartoum in the CAF Confederation Cup | Courtesy photo
4. After we won the game, they provided their best team bus to drop us back to our hotel and later hosted us for dinner not knowing they had plans to arrest the team at the airport as we returned.
We were accused of evading an entry tax we were not aware of and we had to seek top government intervention and that of the airline for clearance to leave their country.
Unless things have changed but please be aware of those off field tactics so that you make Ugandan football proud
It’s our game, Its our Country. All the best
The writer is a top-level football administrator. He is a former Chief Executive Officer at SC Villa and Uganda Revenue Authority FC. He is also a director at the Uganda Youth Soccer Academy (UYSA).
