UPL: FUFA referee disciplinary committee overturns controversial red card against Police’s Ochan
The FUFA Referees Disciplinary panel has overturned the controversial red card handed to Police FC goalkeeper Derrick Ochan as the team lost 3-2 to Vipers in Kitende last week.
During the closing minutes of the first half, the centre referee judged Ochan to have handled the ball outside the goal area and on consultation with the assistant referee, a red card was issued to the goalkeeper amid protest from the Police FC players and their chairman, AIGP Asan Kasingye.
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However, according to a communication by the Uganda Premier League secretariat , the decision has since been rescinded after carefully reviewing footage from the game.
“The UPL secretariat is in receipt of a decision from the FUFA Referees Disciplinary panel which reviewed the red card shown to Police FC player Derrick Ochan during the game against Vipers played on February,19,2021. The panel annulled the red card shown to Ochan due to the wrong call made by the assistant referee,” the UPL CEO Bernard Bainamani said in a communication to all stakeholders.
According to the communication, Ochan is now eligible to play for Police FC in all subsequent games.
Following the incident at St. Mary’s stadium in Kitende, Police FC chairman, AIGP Asan Kasingye decried the growing impunity in Ugandan football, accusing some clubs of involvement in match-fixing.
“I can’t withstand the pain inflicted on us the investors anymore because this is a mockery of our time and efforts,” Kasingye said, adding that there have been a number of similar incidents against Police FC.
The latest development has however absolved Kasingye who was castigated by a number of social media commentators over his comments on the controversial red card.
