By Oliver Farrimond
A Scottish football manager faces the sack as the coach of the Ugandan national football team – unless he signs a form condemning sodomy.
Formers Rangers star Bobby Williamson, who has spoken out against discrimination during his career, faces the boot unless he falls in line with the anti-gay government.
Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda, and Williamson has been asked to part in an anti-gay offensive in a bid to rid the game of an alleged “culture of homosexuality”.
Every coach in the country must sign the form handed out by the Ugandan FA (FUFA), which “denounces any support or involvement in sodomy-related acts.”
Williamson, who has managed Kilmarnock and Hibs in the past, said that most politicians and footballing authorities were strongly against homosexuality in Uganda.
He said: “There has been a lot of talk about homosexuality in the game in Uganda and I’ve heard stories, although I have no evidence of it.
“What I do know is that politicians and football officials seem strongly against it.
“What I will say is that you have to abide by the law of the land in whatever country you happen to be working in.
“Until FUFA speak to me about that it’s a hypothetical matter and I’ll reserve my views until I’m approached.”
Authorities initiated the clampdown after a prominent Ugandan footballer, Isaac Omalla, reported his manager Charles Ayeko to FUFA, claiming that the older man had sexually assaulted him after a match.
FUFA are persisting with their efforts despite the fact that Uganda could be expelled from FIFA if their actions do not fall in line with the pro-inclusion policies of the sport’s global governing body.
Stone Kyambadde, a senior Ugandan football official, said: “We are going to address [sodomy] in our code of conduct.
“The code will denounce any support of involvement in sodomy-related acts.
His calls were echoed by Ugandan newspapers and Rogers Mulindwa, a FUFA spokesman, who said: “We totally condemn it.
“We want evidence to pin the people involved – it’s here that we will start the clean up.”
Williamson, who had spells as a player in Scotland and England, was appointed coach of Uganda in August of last year.
The Glaswegian has spoken favourably of Ugandan football in the past, saying that his colleagues in the 84 per cent Christian country were “grateful for what little they have” and “God-fearing”.
