University Football League: Makerere handed five-year ban over chaos, hooliganism

KAMPALA, UGANDA: Makerere University has been handed a suspended lengthy ban from the Pepsi University Football League (PUFL) over fans’ hooliganism while on the pitch following deadly physical assaults in their match with YMCA Comprehensive Institute at Buwambo last month.

The Disciplinary Committee sitting on Thursday, June 9 also warned the university that they risk facing a five-year ban if their fans continue to act roudy going further.

In the same ruling, the committee decided that the match which prematurely ended due to the violence and hooliganism meant that Makerere lost the match to YMCA by forfeiture (3-0), and docked off six points and six goals in addition to the suspension.

Additionally, the university also faces a sh1million fine.

Makerere has since been given up to 48 hours (from today) in case they need to make an appeal.

The ruling has however left the Makerere University fraternity unhappy arguing that the management of UFL is against their success. According to them, both teams should have been penalized but not only Makerere University.

‘’How does a team score with its fans crossing past the opponent’s goalkeeper, weren’t YMCA fans rowdy?” one of the students wondered. “This is very unfair. This decision should be reversed or else they cancel the league, we are not happy,” he added.

This is not the first time the University is being suspended from the league over unsporting behaviour. In 2019, the league committee suspended the University for two years still over violence and hooliganism, and this year’s edition had marked their return.

In a related development, the disciplinary committee also fined University of Kisubi (UniK) team sh500,000 for fielding an ineligible player in their last game against Muni University and ordered all their (UniK) players to be reverified before the next game.

Also, International University of East Africa (IUEA) lost their match to Victoria University by 3-0 after failing to show readiness to play with one hour to kickoff. IUEA was also fined Sh500,000 for trying to field a non-licensed player.