Namboole Hosts Its First Football Match

Mandela National Stadium at Namboole hosted its first football match on 7 February 1998, when Express FC defeated SC Villa 1–0 in a Super League encounter. Fred Tamale scored the only goal, becoming the first footballer to score at the stadium. The stadium had opened in 1997, before this inaugural football fixture. Named in honour of Nelson Mandela and developed through cooperation between Uganda and China, Namboole provided a new major venue for the country’s sporting and public events. SC Villa had registered Namboole as their home ground, and the opening match drew a capacity crowd for one of Ugandan football’s fiercest rivalries. Villa were coached by David Otti, while Express entered the fixture under newly appointed coach Abu Koroma.