By Kampala, Uganda | SC Villa, the reigning champions of the Uganda Premier League, has secured Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, as the venue for their first preliminary round match in the Total Energies CAF Champions League. The match, scheduled for August 17, 2024, will see SC Villa face off against Commercial Bank of Ethiopia.
The agreement to host the match at Namboole was reached after extended discussions between SC Villa’s executive team, the UPDF Engineering Brigade—responsible for the stadium’s renovation—and the stadium’s management. Concerns had been raised earlier about the stadium’s readiness, following a statement by Lt. Col. Peter Kidemuka, the lead project engineer, who indicated that the stadium was not yet prepared for events. He cited that the running track surrounding the pitch was still wet and needed additional time to dry.
Kidemuka’s announcement on Tuesday took many by surprise, particularly within SC Villa’s fan base, who had been eagerly anticipating their team’s return to continental competition after a prolonged absence. The club had already declared Namboole as the venue for their match and had even set ticket prices for the August 17 game.
In response to the concerns, SC Villa’s CEO, William Nkemba, and President, Umar Mandela, swiftly convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday morning with the UPDF Engineering Brigade and Namboole Stadium management. The meeting was also attended by State Minister for Sports Peter Ogwang, who participated in part of the discussions. Following the meeting, Nkemba informed journalists that an agreement had been reached to allow the stadium to host the upcoming match.
Controversy Over Kitara FC’s Use of Namboole Stadium
Earlier this month, a controversy emerged when reports suggested that Namboole Stadium management had permitted SC Villa to host its CAF Champions League match at the stadium, while denying Kitara FC, another Ugandan Premier League club, the opportunity to host its CAF Confederation Cup match against Al Hilal Benghazi at the same venue. The stadium management cited unavailability, forcing Kitara FC to relocate their match to Libya.
It was later revealed that Namboole Stadium management had initially declined both clubs’ requests due to the stadium’s ongoing renovations. However, SC Villa proceeded to announce that their match would take place at Namboole, with speculation that the club leveraged influential contacts to secure the venue despite the stadium’s unfinished state.
Status of Mandela National Stadium, Namboole
In May 2023, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) provisionally cleared Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, to host internationally recognized matches, nearly five years after it had been barred from doing so. Uganda Cranes subsequently hosted their FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Botswana and Algeria at the venue in June.
Despite the clearance, CAF identified several areas requiring improvement, including relocating the media tribunal, addressing unfinished ceiling work, upgrading floodlights, enhancing the VVIP section, and reducing seating capacity from 40,818 to 38,000 due to visibility issues caused by structural posts. These issues were to be addressed by the contractors to ensure the stadium met all international standards.
Currently, the main concern is the running track, which is still under construction. However, this does not affect CAF requirements, as the track is intended for athletics and does not hinder football matches. The Uganda Cranes are scheduled to use the stadium for their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, hosting Congo on September 8 and South Sudan in October.
