Uganda: USL Will Not Relent in Promotion Feud

Andrew Mwanguhya

29 June 2011

Kampala — Eleven of the 14 Super League clubs on Monday night unanimously resolved to approach Fufa in one front.

The Uganda Super League Limited (USL) and local soccer body Fufa will meet tomorrow in what will intensify or break the standoff between the pair over the number of teams to be promoted.

USL want to promote only two teams to maintain last season’s 14 while Fufa maintain three must come up from the Big League. Tomorrow’s meeting between all stakeholders of the Jinja Declaration – which brought about the formation of an independent body to manage the competition – was called by Fufa CEO Edgar Watson on Saturday. This came after Fufa suspended their “delegated authority to the USL to run the league”.

Citing the Memorandum and Articles of Association that brought them into being, USL dismissed Fufa’s ban, instead calling their own meeting for all clubs – the principle shareholders. And from that meeting, shunned by Bunnamwaya, Utoda and Hoima, in Kampala on Monday, USL are determined to defend their stand.

A trusted source, who attended the meeting but does not want to be named for fear of reprisal, said USL will not buckle to Fufa’s demands. “The stand so far is we shall defend our position,” said the source. Reports had suggested a simmering mistrust by some clubs about how the league was being managed. League manager Paul Kabaikaramu said they are united but remained guarded on the meeting details. “All clubs agreed we attend the meeting with Fufa,” he said, “Apart from that, there was nothing much.”

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