A renowned Arsenal fan in Luuka District, Moses Mpoya, has died after collapsing while watching his club’s match against Aston Villa on Sunday night.
Mpoya, a resident of Bulamya Village in Bukooma Sub-county, reportedly collapsed from his seat during first-half stoppage time at a video hall where he had gone to watch the match with other football fans.
He was initially rushed to nearby Nawansega Health Centre III for first aid before his condition worsened and he was referred to Kiyunga Health Centre IV, where he was later pronounced dead.
The Busoga North Police spokesperson, Samson Lubega, said an autopsy would be conducted to establish the cause of death but declined to provide further details.
Eyewitnesses allege that Mpoya had placed a bet predicting a 3-0 victory for Arsenal before the match.
However, Arsenal had failed to score by the 40th minute of the first half, prompting some spectators at the video hall to tease him about the bet.
They said the teasing continued as the first half approached its end before Mpoya suddenly collapsed during stoppage time.
However, there is no confirmation that the bet or the match caused his death.
Friends and fellow Arsenal supporters described Mpoya as a passionate football fan who spent much of his free time discussing the club’s performances and defending the team whenever rival fans challenged him.
Musa Kyatte, a fellow Arsenal fan, said Mpoya was known for publicly announcing his bets at the video hall before matches, often sparking arguments with other supporters.
“People would challenge him for overestimating Arsenal, and that would create endless arguments throughout the game. We expected yesterday to be the same, but instead we watched him collapse to the ground,” Kyatte said.
He described Mpoya’s death as a loss to the community, saying the video hall would miss his energy and presence during Arsenal matches.
“It is a sombre mood in the whole village following the loss of Mpoya, a renowned morale booster for Arsenal during game days. Our video hall will surely miss his energy and physical presence,” Kyatte said.
Mpoya was also remembered for his involvement in community development.
Charles Lubaale, another Arsenal fan, said Mpoya worked as a sawman and spent his evenings discussing football, particularly Arsenal’s performances.
Lubaale said Mpoya had helped organise Arsenal supporters in the area into a self-help group with 282 registered members.
According to Lubaale, the group holds monthly development meetings and supports members during difficult times, including bereavement and sickness, while also providing soft loans to members seeking to start small businesses.
He said the initiative had contributed to the growth of the local trading centre, with about 80 small businesses, including snack stalls, retail shops, barber shops, boda boda businesses and local eateries, owned or operated by Arsenal supporters.
Lubaale said Mpoya died at a time when the group was planning to establish a formal association to extend its activities to other parts of the sub-county.
He said the members now plan to strengthen their development projects in Mpoya’s memory.
“He will be missed as an ardent Arsenal fan. His contribution went beyond the excitement of watching football because he also helped bring people together and improve their livelihoods,” Lubaale said.
Arsenal eventually won the match 1-0, with Bukayo Saka scoring in the 59th minute.Police said further details about Mpoya’s death would be available after the autopsy-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
