Ugandan Football Powerhouses Vipers SC and SC Villa Unite Against FUFA's New League Format

Reigning league champions Vipers SC and record winners SC Villa have jointly rejected FUFA's new league format for the 2025/26 season, citing concerns over its impact on the sport's integrity, finances, and legality. The two clubs demand the immediate suspension of the proposed reforms.

By Chris Posiano

August 26, 2025 at 5:26 AM

8,724 views

In a strongly worded joint statement, the presidents of Vipers SC and SC Villa, Dr. Lawrence Mulindwa and Hajji Omar Mandela, respectively, have expressed their formal rejection of the new league format proposed by the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) for the 2025/26 season.

The proposed reforms, outlined in FUFA's Circular No. 1202 dated August 20, 2025, introduce a three-phase league format, which the two clubs argue is fundamentally flawed and was developed without adequate stakeholder consultation.

The clubs cited several reasons for their objection, including:

The new format's complex rules, which they claim will alienate fans, sponsors, and players, and undermine sporting integrity.
The points reset in later phases, which they argue unfairly penalizes clubs that have demonstrated consistency and excellence.
The potential for an uneven distribution of home and away matches, leading to a sporting disadvantage and financial losses.

The proposed financial regulations have also been criticized, as they drastically reduce the home team's share of gate revenue, with FUFA and the UPL taking a significant cut.

"This model, which has previously failed in the Uganda Cup due to a lack of transparency and timely remittance, is unsustainable and unjust," the statement read.

The clubs also raised concerns over the new player registration rule, which limits player eligibility to those with at least two years remaining on their contracts, and the mandatory requirement for clubs to share business and sporting data with the federation.

The joint statement concluded by emphasizing that the proposed reforms pose an existential threat to the clubs and the future of Ugandan football, and demanded the immediate suspension of the new league format and an inclusive stakeholder forum to discuss the proposed changes.

The rejection of the new league format by two of Uganda's most prominent football clubs sets the stage for a potential showdown between FUFA and the clubs, with the future of Ugandan football hanging in the balance.