Uganda Premier League champions Vipers Sports Club have said they will not take part in the newly introduced Uganda Premier League (UPL) format for the 2025/26 season, citing lack of consultation, financial risks, and disregard for club concerns.
In a strongly worded October 2 letter to the UPL Fufa chief executive, Vipers president Lawrence Mulindwa accused the local football governing federation of disrespect and blackmail, saying the club’s repeated petitions had been ignored despite engagements in August and September.
“To our surprise and dismay and with utter disrespect, we have to-date never received any formal response to the several pertinent issues raised in our petitions,” Mulindwa said. “Instead, we have been met with social media ridicule, blackmail, rebuke and ostracization.”
The league season kicked off two weeks ago but Vipers were excused from the opening round as they were engaged in Caf Champions League preliminaries.
Several clubs honoured the fixtures.
Vipers vowed not to honour their scheduled double-header fixture against Kitara on October 4 at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, or participate in any matches under the new format until Fufa formally addresses their concerns.
The new UPL format for the 2025/2026 season is a three-round system designed to be faster, fiercer, and fairer. It consists of a one-leg first round, followed by a home-and-away second round where the teams are split into two groups (top and bottom eight).
The final round involves separate one-leg formats for championship and relegation battles, with the top six from the second round's Group 1 forming a new Group 3, and the bottom six from Group 2 forming a new Group 4 to determine positions 11–16.
The 2025/26 reforms introduce a three-round system:
- First round: a one-leg format where all 16 clubs face each other once.
- Second round: home-and-away fixtures split into top and bottom eight groups.
- Final round: one-leg playoffs, with the top six from Group 1 forming a championship group and the bottom six from Group 2 battling relegation.
Fufa argue the reforms will make the league “faster, fiercer, and fairer,” while promoting competitiveness and fan engagement.
But several clubs, including Vipers, SC Villa, and NEC, have opposed the reforms, citing concerns about blackmail and a top-down approach that ignores stakeholder interests.
Clubs have also raised concerns about the sustainability of the new financial model, particularly new revenue-sharing rules that would reduce gate receipts for home teams.
Clubs also opposed mandatory data sharing and a new player registration rule that could violate employment rights.
In his letter, Mulindwa - who handed over the Fufa reins to Moses Magogo in 2013 after eight years at the helm - warned that Vipers would use “all available means within the confines of football laws and best practices” to seek redress and protect its independence as a Fufa member.
The letter was copied to the Minister of Education and Sports, the National Council of Sports, Uganda Premier League management, sponsors, partners, and fans—signaling an escalation that could destabilize the start of the season.
Fufa, while defending its reform process, has called for “patience, dialogue, and unity,” stressing that change requires shared ownership by clubs, media, and fans.
With kick-off slated for October 4, the standoff between Fufa and Vipers raises uncertainty over the smooth launch of the new-look Uganda Premier League season.
