Koukouras has a big job on his hands to shake off or he counts his last days at SC Villa
Tuesday, 14, December
Star Times UPL
Barifa Stadium, Arua City
Arua Hill v SC Villa
Greek man Petros Koukouras has had a torrid week. His team has suffered two losses to Mbarara City and Gaddafi in the Uganda Premier League UPL.
SC Villa who appeared to be walking away with three points against URA FC last week were stunned when the tax collectors grabbed a late equalizer.
Koukouras knows his days are numbered if he does not pull off a miracle in his upcoming fixtures, starting with Tuesday’s away fixture at Barifa Stadium in Arua City against stubborn Arua Hill.
Sources within SC Villa say the board is getting impatient with the Greek coach who is yet to steady his ship. The fans have started calling for his head.
They came out loud voicing their discomfort against the coach who they feel has come short on the mission to get their club to respectable positions.
Fans and the board are aware of the club’s shortcomings especially with the playing staff who they know are not to the levels of their rivals KCCA FC, Vipers SC and Express FC.
Omar Mandela and his executive were not part of the group that recruited for the club the current group of players.
Sources say Mandela would have wanted to go big by waging war on the top rivals and plucking stars from their set up.
The current crop of players at Koukouras’ disposal were mainly brought in by Moses Magogo with the aid of Eugene Ssepuya. Magogo’s objectives were far from what the new SC Villa executive envisaged.
Many of the stars in the club’s camp were in the national under 17 side. Travis Mutyaba, the star exciting the fan base, is one of them who is attached to Ssepuya’s agency.
The head coach Koukouras is also said to be a close friend of Ssepuya who sources say is an intern from Europe trying his luck with SC Villa.
It remains to be seen who he submits to since the Magogo group still have a huge say in the club’s day to day operations.
However, the club’s activities are under the watchful eye of city lawyer Muhammad Bazirengedde who in most cases would call the shot to fire the Greek if the state of affairs continues to deteriorate.
All eyes will be on Koukouras at Barifa Stadium on how he will go about his business with the West Nile side who embarrassed league champions Express FC at Wankulukuku Stadium on the opening day of the UPL season.
The Arua City giants managed by Livingstone Mbabazi also came from two goals down to tax URA FC three points in Kampala. It looks a tall order for SC Villa who are not good away from home.
They lost to Gadaffi away in Jinja City and western lions of Mbarara City in Mbarara City.
Goalkeepers:
Meddie Kibirige, Senkooto Martin
Defenders:
Kizito Gavin, Kafumbe Joseph, Gift Fred, Semakula Kenneth, Agandu Fred
Midfielders:
Bayo Ali, Salim Abdallah, Kabonge Nicholas, Goffin Oyirwoth, Derrick Ssekiranda
Strikers:
Benson Muhindo, Oscar Mawa, Masereka Sadam, Ogwang Isaac, Iddi Abdulwahdi, Umar Lutalo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdT0OId0Lvw
Award winning journalist and writer who has worked as a stringer for a couple of acclaimed South Africa based German journalists, covered 3 Ugandan elections, 2008 Kenya election crisis, with interests in business and sports reporting.