Following the government’s decision to restrict social gatherings and other public gatherings, FUFA has called an end to the Uganda Premier League by declaring leaders Express FC as the champions of this current campaign.
FUFA’s Emergency Committee took the decision to declare Express Football Club Champions of the 2020/21 Uganda Premier League with four rounds to the end of the season.
The COVID-19 pandemic, cases that forced government to implement a lockdown that put on hold various sporting activities, football governing body Federation of Ugandan Football Association (FUFA) with the country under a lockdown for 42 days, sports activities including football were put on hold including the Uganda Premier League which was four rounds away from conclusion.
The FUFA top brass deemed it fit to end the season and thus evoke Article 18, section C and D of the Competitions rules which talk about such scenarios.
“The FUFA Emergency Executive Committee has on Tuesday 29th June 2021 taken the decision to end the 2020/21 StarTimes Uganda Premier League based on Article 18, Section 1, Sub-section C & D of the FUFA Competition rules,” reads a statement on FUFA website.
The Article stipulates that;
Where the league format due to circumstances of force majeure is not played to completion, the league winner shall be determined as follows.
c) Where at least one club has played more than 75% of the league games, the following formula shall be used by TOC (Terms of Conditions) to determine the league positions.
d) Total number of points earned from the number of games played multiplied by the total number of games supposed to be played divided by the number of games played.
This therefore means that Express FC who were top of the table on 58 points by the time the League was halted are declared Champions.
This is the 7th league title for the Red Eagles and their first since 2011/12 season. This earns them a ticket to next season’s CAF Champions League.
URA FC who were second on the log, one point behind Express FC will represent Uganda in the CAF Confederation Cup.
It should be noted that by the time sports activities were stopped, the Uganda Cup had been played up to the semifinal stage.
MYDA FC and Kitara FC who had already been relegated are joined by Kyetume FC as the three teams that drop to the FUFA Big League.
With Arua Hill SC and Tooro United FC already securing promotion, one slot was still up for grabs and four teams that is Gadaffi FC, Nyamityobora FC, Blacks Power and Proline FC were all in contention.
The aforementioned teams had to go through a playoff and the winner earning the last promotional slot.
FUFA has indicated that they will wait for guidance from National Council of Sports and the Ministry of Health on when and how the playoff games will be handled.
