As the 2021/22 Uganda Premier League season draws closer, nine teams have each been handed sh500,000 fines over failure to beat deadlines and violating FUFA club licensing regulations.
The teams in question are Police, UPDF, SC Villa, BUL, Onduparaka, Busoga United, Tooro United as well as newly-promoted Arua Hill FC and Gaddafi FC.
FUFA fined the teams after the August 20 deadline to submit all the required documents for the club licensing process elapsed and they failed to provide an explanation to the federation.
Decolas Kiiza FUFA deputy CEO revealed the punitive move in a meeting of all the 16 Uganda Premier League club CEOs and StarTimes the official sponsor of the league held at Kati Kati Restaurant in Lugogo over the weekend.
Kiiza said since the end of last season, FUFA has been beseeching the clubs to submit the required documentation including the minimum number of players (15) to confirm their participation in the new season and to ease FUFA’s work of releasing the fixtures in time, however, up to date the nine clubs have been silent.
“It is quite absurd that at this time we have only seven clubs that have confirmed their participation in the upcoming season, the likes of Express, URA, Vipers, KCCA, Soltilo Bright Stars, Mbarara City and Wakiso Giants. To my surprise, the rest of the nine clubs haven’t even registered a single player out of the minimum fifteen we need to issue licenses and it is now a challenge for us to draft the fixtures because we don’t know who to consider,” said Kiiza.
He said no player will be allowed to get a license or to play for any club this season before he is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but to his disappointment, many of the nine clubs have not vaccinated their players with a single jab yet to get the second jab, you need a minimum of three months.
“I am cautioning you in advance that all your players and officials must fully be vaccinated, and must possess a medical report from a recognised hospital expressing the safety of a player to take part in the season, and I am warning you against duplicating these letters because FUFA has medical experts to assess and verify them,” he added.
CAF to spot-check Uganda
FUFA club licensing manager Ivan Kintu Bayige revealed that in the upcoming season, officials from CAF are set to inspect all the pitches of the 16 top-flight clubs and that if they are found not to have the necessary requirements, they face a $10,000 fine.
“This season no club will be allowed to share a pitch for hosting games because when CAF sends delegates here, each club must present its independent pitch with the following observations; a fully green turf, perimeter fence, dressing rooms, permanent structures, sanitary facilities and others,” he explained.
He said that at the moment, it is only St Mary’s, Phillip Omondi, Kabaka Kyabaggu, Kyabazinga and Mutesa II Wankulukuku stadiums that pass CAF’s top-flight league standard.
