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In 2017, Alex Isabirye, now speaking in defense of referee Mashood Ssali was in Jackson Mayanja's shoes after losing to Vipers Sports Club.
Isabirye beamed with pride and could have quickly passed for referee Mashood Ssali's attorney after the center referee was attacked by KCCA FC's Jackson Mayanja over controversial decisions in the much-heated game at St Mary's Stadium, Kitende, on Friday evening.
However, in 2017, he was in Mayanja’s shoes and made similar statements about Ssali.
Then a coach at Soana, Isabirye was frustrated by a string of games in which Ssali officiated and the decisions were not in his favor.
His outburst after losing to Vipers 2-0 at Kitende stands out.
The second goal came after Ssali ignored a foul on a Soana player before Tonny Odur completed his brace in added time.
In his post-match address, Isabirye claimed Ssali was ‘always against his side’.
"That ref is always poor against my sides, and this is the third time,” Isabirye said then.
“How his bad days always come against my side beats me, but I am not happy, and neither are my players. It hurts to lose in such a manner”, he added.
Isabirye now has other thoughts about the referee.
In his defense of the referee, after he made decisions in his favour, Isabirye appealed to Mayanja to understand that referees are human.
"I think he's a football coach, not a referee, and I don't expect a referee to be perfect 100% because there were some situations where I think we could have won something or a set piece, referees are also human beings.”
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Ssali is accused of rejecting to award a spot kick to KCCA FC when Hillary Mukundane seemed to have fouled Rogers Mato in the first half. He waved play on.
In the second half, Vipers, too, felt they deserved a penalty call when Geoffrey Wasswa brought down Abubakar Lawal, but Ssali balanced the scales.
KCCA FC lost 1-0 thanks to a late Milton Karisa goal, and tempers flared after the full-time whistle.
In a post-match address, Mayanja described the referee as a 'problem'.
"Mashood (Ssali) is a problem to this country, that I say," he said before turning the same dismissive attitude to journalists who pressed for elaboration.
Mayanja is under investigation by FUFA over the statements.
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