Andrew Mwanguhya
4 July 2011
The 2011/12 Uganda Super League (USL) season could have 16 teams. The development comes after the Jinja Declaration Committee (JDC) brokered a deal between Fufa and the USL to allow the promotion of three teams.
A three-week impasse between USL and Fufa resulted from the former insisting on allowing two teams up after two had been relegated while the latter couldn’t relent on three up from the Big League. USL are an independent body mandated by the JDC – which seeks to professionalise the league – to manage the competition. Fufa are a supervisory special shareholder to the declaration and run the Big League.
Proposal
A meeting between the aforementioned last Thursday had left bleakness rather than optimism after they failed to reach an understanding. But the JDC, USL and Fufa resolved on Saturday that three teams be promoted. “I moved a proposal that for the sake of football, we needed to get out of the legalities and get a way forward,” said Richard Omongole, a member of the JDC.
“So we agreed that Fufa forward the names of the three teams from the Big League by this Saturday and the rest will be up to USL to determine whether they will stick with 14, or go with 15 or 16.” A league with an odd number of teams would render one side redundant every match-day.
“Members disagreed with a league of odd numbers,” said the league manager, Paul Kabakaramu, “So Fufa will send the three teams but we are still looking at 14 or 16 teams. “If the two parties (Maroons and Iganga v Boroboro – latter two are due a rematch) agree to a play-off as per USL rule B29, then we shall have 14 teams but if they fail to agree, we will have to call back Fire Masters (who finished second from bottom last season) to make 16.”
“On next season’s relegation and promotion, we are going back to Fufa to discuss and also have some amendments in our rules in two week’s time,” added Kabaikaramu.
AllAfrica – All the Time