DEFEATED! FUFA Succumbs To Club’s Pressure, Suspends Controversial New Uganda Premier League Format

By Our Reporter

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) has suspended the newly introduced format of the 2025/2026 StarTimes Uganda Premier League (UPL) after weeks of protests, boycotts, and growing divisions between the federation and several top-flight clubs.

In a statement shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, FUFA confirmed that following consultations with UPL clubs, sponsors, and the Uganda Premier League Board, the new structure introduced under Rule 14:4-12 of the FUFA Competition Rules 2025 would not be implemented this season.

According to FUFA, the decision aims to “allow stakeholders more time to understand the new UPL reforms through various forms of sensitisation.”

The 2025/26 UPL season had kicked off under an ambitious three-phase format designed to inject greater competition and commercial value into Uganda’s top-tier league. However, the rollout was met with resistance and confusion from both clubs and supporters.

Under the new system:

• All 16 clubs would play each other once in the opening phase.
• Teams would then split into two groups — the top eight and bottom eight — to play home-and-away fixtures within their brackets.
• The top six from the upper group would advance to a championship playoff, while the bottom six would battle to avoid relegation.

While FUFA promoted the format as making the league “faster, fiercer, and fairer,” critics argued it disrupted long-standing traditions, created revenue disparities, and was introduced without adequate consultation.

Tensions came to a head on October 2, when Dr. Lawrence Mulindwa, President of Vipers SC and a former FUFA boss, announced that his club would not honour their scheduled fixture against Kitara FC until their concerns were addressed.

In a strongly worded statement, Mulindwa accused FUFA of “disrespect, blackmail, and sidelining dissenting clubs,” alleging that the federation ignored formal petitions and made unilateral decisions. He also questioned the credibility of a UGX 3.4 billion investment pledge linked to the reforms.

“We will not be part of a system that ignores what clubs and fans demand,” Mulindwa declared, calling the process “coercive.”

His stance sparked widespread debate, earning both criticism and admiration while exposing deep cracks within Uganda’s football establishment.

The discontent quickly spilled beyond club boardrooms. Fans launched online campaigns under the hashtags #BoycottUPL and #RespectTheGame, demanding transparency and wider consultation.

At Mandela National Stadium, where a doubleheader featuring Vipers had been promoted, empty stands told the story. Supporters accused organisers of deceit after buying tickets for matches that never featured one of the headline clubs.

Several football legends — including George Ssemwogerere, Jackson “Mia Mia” Mayanja, Paul Ssali, Gibby Kalule, and Iddi Batambuze — urged humility, dialogue, and transparency from both FUFA and club leaders.

Veteran administrator Jabeli Bidandi Ssali, a founding figure of KCC FC, described the standoff as “a leadership test, not a crisis,” warning that pride could undo decades of progress.

“Uganda’s league was built on consultation and shared vision,” Bidandi said, recalling the sport’s evolution since 1968 into a unifying national pastime.

The suspension of the new format is expected to ease tensions temporarily as consultations continue. FUFA officials say the federation will embark on stakeholder sensitisation sessions to clarify the intentions behind the reforms and collect feedback from clubs and fans.

Whether the new format will return — and under what conditions — remains uncertain. For now, Uganda’s top-tier football returns to its traditional structure as the game’s leaders seek to rebuild trust and unity among the sport’s most critical stakeholders.