The Star times Uganda Premier League, the top flight league of Uganda football consisting of 16 teams has witnessed great entertainment and massive display of quality talent with the recently promoted teams putting up great performances and the big guns merely losing out.
KCCA woes
Thirteen Times Uganda Premier League Champions KCCA FC were humiliated in a 3 : 0 loss to BUL FC at the FUFA Technical Center, Njeru in their fifth game of the season dropping to 13th on the log and now have gone three games without victory in the league, losing to both Tooro United and BUL and narrowly drawing with Bright Stars FC at Lugogo although Bright Stars had a genuinely scored goal disallowed due to lack of goal-line technology..
The last sixteen encounters between BUL FC and KCCA FC have seen the Kasasiro boys the dominant side winning 9 drawing 6 games and losing just twice against the Jinja based side.
KCCA coach Mike Mutebi’s charges hoped to be boosted by the return of teenage striker Sadat Anaku who missed the previous game against Bright Stars but all hope was in vain. Anaku is FUFA Juniors’ all record top scorer in the past three seasons with 83 goals.
Talk in town about how the KCCA boss’ managerial job and how it hangs in balance
Mutebi said after losing to BUL FC that they will correct their mistakes and look forward to returning to winning ways.
“We created so many chances that the boys failed to convert. We are disappointed with the results we have been getting lately.
“We want to get back to winning ways. We have corrected our mistakes from the past games and we know we have to put away our chances to get results.
“The coaches and players have been working on how to improve our scoring and I have hope that soon we shall be better,” said Mutebi in an interview.
It should be noted that the Kasasiro boys were recently eliminated from the CAF Champion’s League by Angolan based side Petro de Luanda. They didn’t reach the Group stage, meaning that they missed out on the Ush2billion cash prize.
KCCA FC’s early undoing could be the fatigue to most of its players who have been playing in the qualifying rounds of the CAF Champions’ League, summoned for the local-based Uganda CHAN team, playing in the Airtel Uganda sponsored Cranes Na Mutima regional tours and also having a couple of their players summoned in the Under 20 team that participated in the CECAFA tournament that was hosted by Uganda and won by Tanzania.
Fight for Top spot
BUL FC has won five of their opening six games in the Star times Uganda Premier League this season, making them the early pacesetters in the run-in for the title. They are closely followed by a resurrecting Sports Club Villa that shocked Wakiso Giants at Namboole yesterday to go second on the table, above Arua based side Onduparaka on 15 points, who were themselves shocked by Uganda Revenue Authority 2-1 at the Green Light Stadium in Arua courtesy of a Cromwell Rwothomiyo brace.
SC Vipers is closely following in fourth place after beating Police FC 3-1 at Lugogo thanks to goals from Paul Willa, Halid Lwaliwa and Karim Watambala. Vipers have played fewer games than the top three team (6), winning four drawing two and losing none.
Performance of newly promoted teams
In the 2018/19 Big League season, Kyetume FC, Proline FC and Wakiso Giants FC were promoted. A great show of talent has been put up by Wakiso Giants who are currently 7th on the log, Kyetume FC started on a winning note after beating SC Villa at Namboole in the league opener but are currently lying 12th on the table after a spell of positive and negative results. Proline, who most recently lost to Busoga United FC lie bottom of the table with no point have played six games, won two and lost four. They were docked 6 points and 6 goals having deliberately failed to honour a home fixture against SC Villa at their home ground in Lugogo, reasoning that their player Bright Anukani had been abruptly summoned for National duty, leaving them severely depleted.
Docking points
FIFA’s disciplinary body took action first against Police FC who failed to make early communications and went ahead to miss their opening fixture away against Onduparaka as they were engaged in the East African Police Games in Nairobi. FUFA took action by docking them 3 points and 3 goals.
Article 24 of the FUFA Competitions rules states that “A club failing to turn up for any league/competition match shall submit a written explanation to the TOC within forty-eight hours from the date of the match.”
Police currently sits second from the bottom with 2 points in seven matches. They have one win, two draws and four losses in their seven matches so far played.
Proline FC also followed suit in the disciplinary committee seeing themselves docked 6 points. It followed a spectacle in which they failed to honour their home game against SC Villa.
Proline didn’t turn up to play against the Jogoos after their players Mustafa Mujjuzi and Bright Anukani were called up by the national team for the friendly against Kenya on a FIFA gazetted International break.
FUFA disciplinary committee in a statement said that Proline is docked 6 points, 6 goals and a fine of shillings 5 million for not honouring their game yet they were the hosts. Proline currently leaps at the bottom of the log with no point in 6 matches.
Will the reason for docking points from teams (Proline and Police) see them relegated? Let’s watch and see up to the end of the season.
Failure to have home grounds
FUFA set standards to be met by the teams before the acquisition of their respective licenses. Several teams failed to meet the minimum requirements and thus forcing them to seek alternative grounds as they work on their home or rented venues.
This has caused a shift in the number of home supporters mostly to teams that have rented stadiums outside their home areas. The extra costs injected in by the clubs in the form of transport, accommodation, gym facilities have all caused a shift and at certain instances affected impacted them negatively on performance on the pitch.
Teams like Bright Stars who shifted from their Champions’ Stadium in Matugga to Mutesa 2 Stadium Wankulukuku, Mbarara City from Kakyeeka Stadium to Luzira Prisons Ground, Police FC from Star Times Stadium to Kabaka Kyabaggu Stadium in Wakiso, Tooro United from Buhinga Stadium to Wankulukuku to St Leos Grounds in Fort Portal and Onduparaka from Green Light Stadium to Luzira Prisons Ground and back to Green Light Stadium can all attest to the above fact.
BY FRANK SEMATA
