Uganda’s football governing body has suspended its new Premier League format after a wave of criticism from clubs, fans, and sponsors, ending weeks of tension that had threatened to derail the new season.
The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA), led by its president, Hon. Moses Magogo, announced the reversal on Saturday, saying the decision followed “extensive consultations” with stakeholders across the league.
“As FUFA, we have listened to the clubs and other stakeholders and agreed that we revert to the old format for this season,” Magogo said during a press briefing at FUFA House in Mengo. “We will go back and make more reviews, further consultations, and we will get back to it next season.”
The announcement came after a series of emergency meetings, including a session of FUFA’s Executive Committee, which agreed to suspend Rules 14.4 through 14.12 of the 2025 competition regulations. The move effectively halts the new “split-league” system that was meant to reshape Uganda’s top-flight football for the 2025–2026 season.
The now-abandoned format had been marketed as a way to boost competition and commercial value. But it quickly drew anger from clubs and fans who argued it was confusing and rushed. Reigning champions Vipers SC refused to play the season opener, a bold protest that signaled growing unrest within the league.
In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, FUFA confirmed the return to the familiar home-and-away structure. “The FUFA Executive Committee has taken a decision to suspend the format of the 2025/2026 StarTimes Uganda Premier League season after consultations with the UPL clubs, league sponsors, and the Uganda Premier League Board,” the statement read. “The suspension will allow stakeholders more time to understand the new UPL reforms through various forms of sensitisation.”
The committee added that all matches already played under the scrapped structure would remain valid and be incorporated into the revised schedule.
Magogo said the federation would spend the next 12 months “educating and sensitising stakeholders” about the benefits of the proposed reforms, which were originally designed to improve competitiveness and reduce fixture congestion.
The Uganda Premier League Board (UPLB) will now work with FUFA, club chairpersons, and broadcasting partner StarTimes to stabilise the competition and restore confidence among fans.
The reinstated structure means the 16-team league will once again follow the traditional double round-robin format — each club playing 30 matches, home and away.
The controversy began in July when FUFA met club representatives to review the previous season. At that meeting, officials floated the idea of a new three-phase system that would divide teams into performance-based groups midway through the campaign.
On August 20, FUFA’s CEO, Edgar Watson, circulated a memo outlining the changes — from revamped fixtures and player registration to new financial models. Under that plan, the league would start with a single round of 15 games before splitting into “Top 8” and “Bottom 8” groups. Later rounds would further separate the best-performing teams to compete for the title, while the rest would battle relegation.
Critics, however, called the system unnecessarily complex and feared it would hurt smaller clubs. Some sponsors also raised concerns about its commercial viability and the logistical challenges of broadcasting a fragmented competition.
By Saturday’s announcement, FUFA had little choice but to yield. The decision to revert, many observers said, was less a retreat than a recognition that reform in Ugandan football must come with wider consensus — not confrontation.
