Uganda’s football community has been plunged into mourning following the tragic death of SC Villa captain and Uganda international David Owori, who succumbed to injuries sustained in a violent ambush near his home in Kampala.

Owori, 27, was reportedly attacked on Tuesday night in the Makindye area as he approached his residence. According to eyewitnesses, a group of suspected robbers assaulted him with paving stones, stole his belongings and fled the scene.

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The footballer was initially taken to a nearby medical centre before being transferred to a private hospital in Kampala, where he later died from his injuries.

Confirming the tragic development on Thursday, SC Villa described Owori’s death as a devastating loss to the club and the country’s football family.

“We have lost more than a player – we have lost a leader, brother and friend,” the club said in a statement.

SC Villa spokesperson Asan Kasingye said the player was attacked close to his home.

“The player was ambushed by thugs as he approached his home, leaving him with life-threatening injuries before he was rushed to the medical facility,” Kasingye said.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident, with Kampala police spokesperson Rachael Kawala confirming that officers had processed the crime scene and were gathering evidence.

“The scene of the incident has been documented and processed to ensure that all relevant evidence is collected and preserved,” Kawala stated.

Popularly known by the nickname “Colgate,” Owori was one of Uganda’s most respected footballers. He captained SC Villa, one of the country’s most successful clubs, and also represented the Uganda national team, the Cranes.

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) paid tribute to the late defender, describing him as a leader who inspired a generation of footballers.

“David was not just a footballer. He was both a leader and an inspiration to a generation,” FUFA said.

Owori returned to SC Villa in 2023 after a spell in Europe and played a crucial role in helping the club secure its 17th Uganda Premier League title in 2024, ending a 20-year wait for the championship.

His outstanding performances earned him a contract extension until 2027.

His death has sparked widespread outrage across Uganda, with supporters, teammates, football officials and political leaders demanding justice and calling for stronger action against violent crime in Kampala.

Team Nigeria delivered a remarkable display at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, producing a world record, a historic gold medal and a hard-fought bronze to underline the country’s growing dominance in athletics.

Leading the charge was para-athlete Goodness Nwachukwu, who successfully defended her women’s F42 discus throw title in spectacular fashion by setting a new world record of 39.66 metres with her final throw.

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The 27-year-old surpassed her previous world record by more than three metres to register her fourth career world record and add another Commonwealth gold medal to her impressive collection.

Wales’ Funmi Oduwaiye settled for silver with a throw of 38.52 metres, while Bree Cronin claimed bronze after recording 36.00 metres.

Reacting to her achievement, an emotional Nwachukwu said, “I feel like I am on top of the world. I feel so great. I feel so wow, I was like, ‘Ah, what?’ and I started shouting.”

She also expressed gratitude to Nigerians for their unwavering support, adding, “I love you all and I can’t wait to see you. Love you.”

Nigeria’s celebrations continued in the men’s shot put, where Chukwuebuka Enekwechi made history by becoming the first Nigerian to win Commonwealth Games gold in the event.

The African record holder secured victory with a throw of 21.07 metres, improving on the silver medal he won at the 2018 Commonwealth Games while erasing the disappointment of his fourth-place finish in Birmingham four years ago.

Defending champion Tom Walsh of New Zealand claimed silver with a throw of 21.03 metres, while England’s Scott Lincoln finished with bronze after throwing 20.99 metres.

Meanwhile, world record holder Tobi Amusan displayed determination in the women’s 100m hurdles, clocking 12.60 seconds to claim bronze and extend her Commonwealth Games medal streak to three consecutive editions.

Although she narrowly missed out on a third successive Commonwealth title, Amusan revealed after the race that she had been hampered by a knee injury sustained during Team Nigeria’s training camp in Aberdeen.

The outstanding performances by Nwachukwu, Enekwechi and Amusan capped another memorable day for Team Nigeria, as the athletes combined to deliver medals, history and a world record at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

FIFA has been thrown into fresh controversy after a senior adviser to President Gianni Infantino resigned over a proposed plan to sell a stake in the commercial operations of the FIFA World Cup, describing the move as harmful to the future of football.

The resignation, announced on Friday, marks a major setback for Infantino as criticism continues to mount over the governing body’s plans to commercialize aspects of the world’s biggest football tournament.

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Carlos Cordeiro, a former president of the United States Soccer Federation and one of Infantino’s senior advisers, said he could not support the proposal, insisting it would undermine the interests of FIFA’s member associations and the sport itself.

“As a senior advisor to the FIFA president, a former banker, and a lifelong football fan, I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup,” Cordeiro said in his resignation statement.

He stressed that he had no role in developing the proposal.

“Let me be clear: I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally,” he said.

Cordeiro further described the initiative as detrimental to football’s long-term future.

“It is a bad deal for FIFA’s member associations, a bad deal for football, and a bad deal for the long-term future of the game,” he added.

His resignation came just hours after FIFA announced it would continue with what it described as an “open and democratic” consultation process on the proposal, despite growing opposition.

The development represents one of the most significant internal challenges facing Infantino in recent months and is expected to intensify debate over the commercial direction of global football and the governance of the FIFA World Cup.