Cecafa fines Miembeni

Miembeni FC have been fined 200 dollars (more than 200,000/-) by Council of the East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa).

Cecafa Secretary-General Nicholas Musonye said yesterday the Zanzibar side was fined because they refused to enter into the changing room in their Saturday`s match against Yanga.

Miembeni were beaten 1-0 in the Kagame Cup Group `C` match played at the Main National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Musonye said that the team would be required to pay the fine before playing Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) in the tomorrow`s quarter-final match on the same ground.

“We want all teams competing in this tournament to behave professionally in and off the pitch, we will continue punishing the teams who go against the rules and regulation of the football,“ he said.

Last weekend, Cecafa also fined Simba 350 dollars (more than 350,000/-) for breaking one of the rules.

In another development, URA FC winger Dan Wagaluka recently survived deportation for escaping from the team camp.

The Cranes star sneaked out of the team`s residential venue at Gwami Hotel, Morogoro and spent a night on the prowl without the team`s official permission.

This occurred last Wednesday night after URA`s 1-1 draw with Ethiopian side Awassa, a result that sealed their qualification to the quarterfinals.

The team`s disciplinary committee comprising of Nixion Twebaze, Bernard Bainaman, Sam Okabu, Henry Mateku and head coach Moses Basena met to consider punishment for Wagaluka.

Sam Mubiru, Johnson Bagole, Alex Isabirye and Manco Kaweesa represented the players. Most of the officials advocated for the player`s deportation, but the players pushed for a more lenient punishment.

The committee finally ruled that Wagaluka makes an apology, which he did in writing.

The decision, however, left some officials unhappy. “No one is untouchable at this club. We set rules and they should be followed. Why is it that 20 players abide by the rules and only one goes against them,“ one official complained.

Another committee member said the decision was taken in the interest of the team.

“We decided to go by the senior players’ request because any action taken out of their favour would disorganise the team,“ he said. Wagaluka` reportedly went to a local discotheque called Ze Club.

Last year the same player escaped from the team camp during the tournament in Rwanda.