Africa-Press – Uganda. Mr Omar Ahmed Mandela was on Saturday confirmed as the president of one of Uganda’s biggest football clubs, SC Villa, 17 years after he made an unceremonious exit from the side.
Mandela first came to Villa in 1982 as a gateman who sold match day tickets then rose to become the club treasurer during one of the most successful periods for the club.
Between 1998 and 2004, the club won seven straight league titles to go with two Uganda Cups. When Mandela sneezed, Villa and Ugandan football caught a cold.
His exit was pegged on abuse by fans who he found to be unappreciative of the work he and his colleagues were doing. Well, Mandela returns to the same fans but the game has changed significantly.
Back then, Villa only had to beat Express and KCCA to win. Today, there is Vipers and URA too. You didn’t need to be too organised off the pitch to succeed on it when Villa dominated the game.
There are more statutes from the football authorities than before. The game has more rules and regulations too to guide stakeholders.
Today, Villa needs to put in place a functional and empowered administrative unit to be able to succeed. Gone are the days when the club was pegged to the few rich people.
Even Vipers, where Lawrence Mulindwa is the alpha, beta, gamma and omega, he has surrounded himself with a few business associates and companies to support his dream.
The new executive has to find a blend between the moneybags and the fans who bring the numbers that would translate into raising revenue et al.
They have to be deliberate about these things and not just expect them to happen with no attention to all the basics.
Perhaps, these things are bread and butter to a successful businessman like him. The Mandela Group of Companies is something to marvel about, especially in terms of consistency.
Villa must be visible beyond the mentioned individuals. The club must be seen beyond the face of Mandela who promised that it’s time to work following his swearing in on Saturday.
The club desperately needs a home and an appealing corporate image that people would want to associate with. Converting fans into customers is also an ongoing process that must be done methodically.
While fans are paying Shs50,000 to get membership, their involvement has to go beyond that. After all this has been said and done, Villa need a Mandela of 2021 and not 2004.
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