The cracks at Mbarara City FC finally showed in public on Saturday, January 24, during their Uganda Premier League match against Lugazi in Kamwenge.
What should have been a routine fixture instead exposed a club struggling to hold itself together.
The warning signs were clear before kickoff. Mbarara City named just eleven players on the team sheet no substitutes, no cover, no margin for error.
In a top-flight league, it was a startling sight and a blunt reminder of a club operating in survival mode.
The most telling moment came when forward Clinton Kamugisha was sent in goal. It looked like a story of versatility, but it was really an act of desperation.
Kamugisha did his part, keeping a clean sheet and showing commendable commitment.
His effort deserved praise. Still, it raised an uncomfortable question; how does a Premier League club end up with a striker in goal and no one on the bench?
Such scenes point to problems far deeper than tactics. Reports of players going months without pay have surfaced, painting a bleak picture behind the scenes.
Commitment and loyalty can only stretch so far when livelihoods are at stake. Eventually, frustration spills over.
The situation is even harder to swallow given Mbarara City’s recent past. Not long ago, they were a force in the Western region, with Kakyeka Stadium a feared venue.
Today, they are playing “home” games in Kamwenge and struggling to assemble a full matchday squad. The decline has been slow, but impossible to ignore.
After the match, the club moved quickly to suspend four players Kitegenyi Henry, Thembo Ibrahim, Wafula Innocent and Fahad Emuran, indefinitely.
In a statement, management said their conduct was “unprofessional” and had damaged the club’s image, insisting discipline and respect remain non-negotiable values.
But the suspensions have only deepened the debate. Discipline matters, yet it cannot be separated from player welfare and leadership accountability.
When wages go unpaid and uncertainty hangs over the dressing room, breakdowns are almost inevitable.
Mbarara City’s crisis is no longer hidden. It is there in the empty bench, the makeshift goalkeeper and the public fallouts.
What comes next will decide whether the club finds its footing again or sinks further into turmoil.
