Stojanovic exit leaves Villa facing sternest test

The appointment of Dusan Stojanovic as head coach also ranks high among the executive's list of accomplishments with the Serbian overseeing an enterprising brand of football en route to winning last season's league crown.

That was achieved with the club hierarchy insisting on a policy of buying low budget young players with unfulfilled potential or experienced ones looking to rejuvenate their careers.

The traits all point to a successful businessman that Mandela has turned out to be in building his three-decade empire.

But beneath that success however there seems to be an impulsive streak at the club that threatens to undo all the gains made in that close to three-year period.

The latest incident was Saturday's announcement of the departure of Stojanovic as the club's head coach with a year left on a two-year deal.

Worryingly for Villa fans, the call comes two weeks before the  club return to continental  club football for the first time in 19 years with Morley Byekwaso now elevated to the head coaching role on an interim basis.

There has long been talk of the club viewing Stojanovic as an expensive venture whose work could be done by domestic coaches at a lower cost.

The trend would follow similar departures of the team's previous statistician Allan Nsubuga and doctor Micheal Gumisiriza who left acrimoniously.

Defender Gavin Kizito who had replaced Kenneth Ssemakula as captain was also reportedly  asked to  pick his release letter from chief executive officer William Nkemba for apparently inciting players when he inquired about title winning bonuses that had not yet been paid. 

The much adored Stojanovic is then believed to have fallen out with his bosses after demanding for reinforcements to his depleted title winning squad.

Apart from Ssemakula and Kizito, Villa also lost midfielder Umar Lutalo the team's second highest goal scorer last season with eight goals as well as left back Joseph Kafumbe after they were let to run down their contracts with the club only gaining a transfer fee from the departure of the enterprising Abas Kyeyune to Egypt.

The club did make reinforcements as witnessed at the Cecafa Club Cup this month but there is general consensus that those drafted in are not of the same quality. 

This was evidenced as Villa failed to progress past the group stages at a Cecafa tournament devoid of regional heavyweights such as Simba and Yanga.

The often laid back Stojanovic did air out his frustration publicly before the start of the Cecafa tournament highlighting how the club had similarly let go of their top players the season before as striker Charles Bbale and defender Gift Fred exited just a few weeks after his arrival in June last year.

Stojanovic is reported to have been particularly concerned by a lack of a quality striker within his ranks with his recommendation of Bright Stars striker Nelson Ssenkatuka reportedly turned down.

This was after first choice forwards Charles Lwanga who scored just five league goals last season and the unproven Reagan Mpande all got injured at the Cecafa tournament.

The coach is also reported to have asked for a  more experienced squad ahead of the Caf campaign that starts against Ethiopia's CBE with players such as Mustafa Kizza, Bright Anukani, Fred Amaku all deemed too expensive.

The coach's demands also stretched to a desire for a better training facility preferring Wankulukuku to the East High ground where the club trains from.

These demands were all deemed to be too expensive by former club defender and now chief executive officer William Nkemba who according to sources that have been at the club for the last five years, describe as leading the stingy approach and old fashioned way of club management.

The straw that broke the camel's back was the coach's insistence to fly back from Tanzania after Cecafa, a view deemed as indiscipline as the rest of the team returned by road.

It remains to be seen if the team can ride the current storm with failure or success looking likely to cement or break the current administration.