Ugandan soccer star David Owori dies after assault in the capital, Kampala

KAMPALA — Uganda international David Owori, captain of ​one of the country’s biggest soccer clubs, has died after an assault in the capital, Kampala, police said.

KAMPALA — Uganda international David Owori, captain of ​one of the country’s biggest soccer clubs, has died after an assault in the capital, Kampala, police said.

Owori, 28, captain of SC Villa, was critically ⁠injured by unidentified assailants in a suburb of Kampala on Tuesday, police spokesperson Racheal Kawala said.

He was found unconscious by passers-by, who took him to a nearby hospital. He was ⁠transferred to another hospital where ​he ⁠was later pronounced dead, Kawala said.

“David was not just a footballer. He was both a leader ⁠and an inspiration to a generation. As Captain of ​SC ⁠Villa, he led with ‌courage, humility and passion. In the Uganda Cranes jersey, he carried the hopes of a nation,” the Federation ‌of Uganda Football Associations said in ‌a statement.

Crime is rampant in the capital of the East African country and many Ugandans expressed outrage at his death on X. ⁠They also condemned what some said was the inability of the authorities to tackle crime.