Fufa, UPL next course of action in regards to the league dependent on Gov’t guidelines

Fufa and the Uganda Premier League secretariat are committed to completing the 2019/20 season sportingly but all that will depend on government’s course of action.

The UPL was meant to return on May 5 but that was made impossible by the current lockdown due to Coronavirus that literally ends on the same date.

However, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is expected to address the nation before the date with reports the lockdown will be eased but reports indicate that sports and other mass gatherings are not expected to return soon.

Fufa President Moses Magogo is optimistic the league will end on the pitch.  

“We really hoped to do many things during the offseason for club football but with the league still in balance we are limited,” Magogo told Daily Monitor.

Although the country’s football calendar ends on June 30, Magogo says that until it’s impossible by August, the season will be complete.

“We still think with five rounds (of UPL) remaining we need a maximum of one month to determine the winners and losers sportingly on pitch.

“Not until we see that we can’t have the one month by August that is when we shall entertain the discussion of which buttons to press.”

However, he didn’t mention anything Stanbic Uganda Cup that still games left to play including a couple of Round of 16 matches.

Bernard Bainamani, the UPL CEO admits that until they hear from the government, less can be decided at the moment.

“It all depends on what guidelines the government will give,” said Bainamani.

So far, three leagues in Africa have been brought to abrupt end including Kenya and the same is likely to happen in Rwanda where government eased the lockdown but ordered sports events could only return earliest September.

Nevertheless, Fufa has a fall-back position unlike most leagues in world football.

Article 18 (ii) of Fufa’s competition rules on failure to complete the league due to force majeure states that “where all the clubs in the league have completed the first round fixtures but less than 75% league games have been played, the table standings at the end of the first round shall be considered as the final table standing of the league.”

So far, over 80% of the league has been played and should the season fail to continue, Vipers would be champions with Proline, Tooro United and Maroons being relegated going by the current standings.

What isn’t catered for is the Uganda Cup from which the winner represents the country in the Caf Confederation Cup.

Former winners KCCA, SC Villa, URA and Proline are all still in the competition.

The post Fufa, UPL next course of action in regards to the league dependent on Gov’t guidelines appeared first on Kawowo Sports.