By Brian Bariyo Tumuramye
The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) on Thursday launched a rebranded women league named FUFA Women Super League, to replace the FUFA Women Elite League.
The new league will cater for only eight teams unlike the FUFA Women Elite League that had 16 clubs and this is aimed at improving the quality of competition and players.
The new league that will cater for only eight teams unlike the FUFA Women Elite League that had 16 clubs and this is aimed at improving the quality of competition and players and It should be noted that the federation recently held a symposium at Kabira Country Club where a new project named TAKE FLIGHT was introduced and it from here that the new changes aimed at giving women’s football a facelift are generated.
The key four pillars of the take flight project include; increasing the involvement of women in football at all levels, increasing the number of girls playing football, creating revenue-generating avenues for women football and improving women leagues and national teams.
While launching the new league, FUFA President Moses Magogo indicated the Federation has always come up with ideas that are aimed at development and it is in the same breath that the new league has been introduced.
“It is another dawn for us as FUFA. Like we have always said, it is our vision is to become the number one footballing nation in Africa on and off the pitch and that can be done through development. The new league is aimed at improving the quality of Women football.”
Magogo went ahead to state that the FUFA Women Elite League introduced four years ago, has helped in increasing the number of girls/women playing football but he indicated it is time to work on quality. “In 2013, our national team eliminated South Sudan but we decided to withdraw the team because we realized it was not proper to have a national team playing without a league and that is how we started the FUFA Women Elite League in 2015. The executive committee passed a new strategy called Take Flight and some of these changes are highlighted therein. We believe the new format brings about competition, improves the quality of the game and above all makes the teams better,” he said as quoted by the FUFA website.
New FUFA Super League will be played as follws, the teams that finished in the top four positions of either group (Elizabeth and Victoria) will be considered to play in the FUFA Women Super League.
Last season positions
Elizabeth Group
Kampala Queens
UCU Lady Cardinals
Olila High School
Uganda Martyrs High School Lubaga
Victoria Group
Kawempe Muslim Ladies
Lady Doves WFC
She Corporate WFC
Muteesa I Royal University
However, to play in the FUFA Women Super League, the above teams will be subjected to a mandatory club licensing process in the areas of sporting, legal and structure administration and infrastructure among others.
In case any of the teams fail to meet the club licensing standards, the team(s) that finished outside the top four positions in either group will be considered the league will be played on a three-leg basis, with home and away fixtures and the winner on aggregate between two teams over the two legs will host the third leg.
The team with the most points after 21 games will be crowned champions the bottom two teams in the FUFA Women Super League at the end of the season get relegated to the FUFA Women Elite League with the top two in the latter winning promotion.
The FUFA Women Elite League will still exist but will be the second tier and will have teams that finished outside the top four positions last season plus the newly promoted teams.
These include;
Ajax Queens
Asubo Gafford Ladies
She Makerere
Isra Soccer Academy
Tooro Queens
Saviour WFC
Maroons WFC
Amuria WFC.
The 2019-20 FUFA Women Super League is expected to kick off on 2nd November 2019.
