FUFA bans fans in stadiums over COVID-19 spike

The Federation of Uganda’s Football Association (FUFA), has issued a circular directing all clubs not to admit fans to the stadiums until further notice.

In a statement from Decolas Kiiza Hantali, the FUFA Deputy CEO - Football that he addressed to all FUFA members, special interest groups of FUFA, and stakeholders, the football association cited rising COVID-19 cases as a reason for this decision.

“In order to ensure the health and safety of players, technical staff, and all stakeholders, all matches shall be players without spectators or fans until further notice,” the statement reads in part.

FUFA had earlier on allowed up to 200 fans to watch FUFA organized and authorized competitions with adherence to all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) but the association has now said that this is no longer possible due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation in the country.

According to the Ministry of Health, Uganda is currently experiencing a second wave of COVID-19 which has affected the old and young alike and there is a need to heighten observance of SOPs.

In its letter, FUFA noted that all the remaining matches will be played without fans.

“As we wind up the 1st Division, 2nd Division, and the Uganda Cup, there shall be no fans in the stadiums.”

FUFA also encouraged teams to limit their other authorized personnel to only the bare minimum, with strict SOPs observation throughout the games.

On Thursday, the health ministry announced 1,083 new cases of COVID-19, one of the highest in a single day tally over the past weeks.

The country is now awaiting President Museveni’s speech on the COVID-19 situation this Sunday, where he is expected to announce new stringent measures to tackle the new wave.