Federation of Uganda Football Associations(FUFA) has on Thursday morning launched a newly rebranded women league aimed at giving a facelift to the domestic competition and increasing the level of competition amongst clubs.

The new league named the FUFA Women Super League is in line with the just-launched Take Flight project that will help to revolutionise women football in various aspects. Resolutions of the new projet were reached at during the FUFA Women Football Symposium held at Kabira Country Club a fortnight ago.

While launching the new league, FUFA President Moses Magogo indicated the Federation is always strategic in every invention made and believes this is a great step in improving women’s football in Uganda.

 ‘It is another dawn for us as FUFA. Like we have always said, it is our vision  to become the number one football nation in Africa on and off the pitch and that can be done through development, funding, capacity building and protecting the game’

FUFA President went ahead to indicate that the FUFA Women Elite League which was introduced in 2015 played a big role but it is now time to take another step and that is the reason behind the creation of the new league.

‘In 2013, our national team eliminated South Sudan but we decided to withdraw the team because we realised 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’

The Take Flight project has four key pillars namely;

• Increasing the involvement of women in football at all levels
• Increasing the number of girls playing football
• Creating revenue-generating avenues for women football
• Improve women leagues and national teams

The FUFA President revealed that CAF is in the process of introducing a continental club competition in the near future and thus indicated that some of these changes are geared towards preparing teams for such a competition.

‘There is already a proposal by CAF to start a continental club championship. We may not be able to have good teams that would ably compete with teams from other countries and that is why we have decided to turn around the league to make it more competitive and more professional’

How the new FUFA Super League will be played?

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’s 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 aforementioned 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 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 with 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, Bugiri Town View, Dynamic SS, Rinnes, Lango Queens and the 8 regional winners; Tooro Queens, Maroons, Wakiso Hills, Bunyaruguru, Paidha Women, Vision FC, Savior and Amuria

The 2019/20 FUFA Women Super League is expected to kick off on 2^nd November 2019.

MAIN PHOTO: L-R; 2nd Vice President Darius Mugoye, 1st VP Justus Mugisha, FUFA President Eng. Moses Magogo with ‘Take Flight’ Project Manager Jean Sseninde after the press conference at FUFA House, Mengo

Additional reporting FUFA