By 
KCCA FC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Anisha Muhoozi, has strongly criticized the FUFA Appeals Committee after the dismissal of the club’s appeal against a disciplinary ruling.
The controversy centres on the club’s use of an ineligible player, Gavin Kizito, in their Uganda Premier League (UPL) match against Mbarara City on January 7, 2025.
The FUFA Disciplinary Panel had initially found KCCA guilty of fielding Kizito, who was said to have accumulated an excessive number of yellow cards.
Despite KCCA’s appeal, the Appeals Committee upheld the original decision, maintaining that the club had violated the league’s eligibility rules.
KCCA’s defense was built on the claim that Kizito had not received the yellow card he was said to have accumulated in the previous match against NEC, as the official referee’s report did not indicate this.
The club also emphasized that they had sought clarification from the Uganda Premier League (UPL) before fielding the player.
According to Muhoozi, UPL League Manager Paul Kabaikaramu confirmed that Kizito had only received two yellow cards, meaning he was eligible to play in the match against Mbarara City.
However, Mbarara City petitioned against KCCA’s use of Kizito, arguing that the player’s eligibility was in question. FUFA ruled against KCCA, leading to the loss of points for the Kampala-based club.
Muhoozi expressed her frustration with the Appeals Committee’s decision, particularly their assertion that KCCA should have consulted the FUFA Competitions Department directly rather than relying on the UPL.
FUFA’s regulations clearly state that the official central registry of cautions, send-offs, fines, and sanctions is maintained by the FUFA Competitions Department.
In this case, Article 43(12)c of FUFA’s regulations stipulates that the real-time records at FUFA’s Competitions Department take precedence over any other records for all competitions sanctioned by FUFA.
The Appeals Committee ruled that KCCA should have sought clarification directly from FUFA, not the UPL, as the governing body for the competition. Muhoozi strongly disagreed with this stance, questioning the logical basis of the ruling.
“And their defense is that KCCA didn’t consult FUFA Competitions Department. I don’t know whether the Appeals Committee is privy to the way football is run in this country because it’s common knowledge that the FUFA Competitions Committee delegated this role to the Uganda Premier League,” Muhoozi said, implying that the decision was inconsistent with the way football operations are typically managed in Uganda.
The CEO went on to criticize FUFA’s ruling, arguing that the logic behind the decision was flawed.
“FUFA denying that KCCA FC didn’t consult them but rather consulted UPL, which is not FUFA, defeats basic reasoning,” she said. Muhoozi’s remarks emphasized her belief that the ruling went against the basic principles of football administration.
Furthermore, Muhoozi pointed out that FUFA’s stance appeared contradictory.
“FUFA flaunting their own rules and guiding that club records are supreme over their registry is contrary to their rulebook. It’s ridiculous,” she added, underscoring her belief that the Appeals Committee’s decision went against FUFA’s own guidelines.
As a result of this decision, KCCA will lose the three points they gained from their 2-0 victory over Mbarara City.
This could have significant implications on their league standing, especially as the season progresses and every point becomes crucial for the club’s title aspirations.
Given the strong stance taken by their CEO, it’s clear that KCCA is not satisfied with the decision and may consider further measures in the coming days.
This dispute has highlighted ongoing tension between the club and FUFA, with Muhoozi’s vocal criticism calling attention to perceived inconsistencies in the application of the regulations.
