Kampala, Uganda: Vipers Sports Club have been handed a forfeiture defeat after the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) Disciplinary Panel found them guilty of failing to honour their Uganda Premier League fixture against Kitara FC.
The ruling, delivered on February 12, 2026, at FUFA House in Mengo, concluded that Vipers breached Article 16 of the FUFA Ethics and Disciplinary Code when they failed to show up for their league match scheduled for October 4, 2025, at Mandela National Stadium.
As a result, the match has officially been awarded to Kitara FC by forfeiture, handing the Hoima-based side maximum points from the abandoned contest.
The panel, however, exercised discretion under Article 5 of the Code and ruled that Vipers will not face further sporting sanctions beyond the forfeited fixture.
Ordinarily, failure to honour a match can attract additional punishment, including the deduction of three points and three goals from a club’s tally. But in this case, the panel opted against imposing extra penalties.
The outcome carries major implications in the ongoing Uganda Premier League campaign, where the battle for the title and continental qualification slots remains tight.
While Vipers avoid deeper damage to their championship ambitions, the administrative win gives Kitara a crucial boost in the standings. In a league where margins are razor-thin, the awarded points could prove decisive at the end of the season.
KCCA FC Petition Dismissed
In a separate ruling, the FUFA Disciplinary Panel dismissed a petition filed by KCCA FC, who had alleged that Kitara fielded an ineligible player in their league match played on September 26.
After reviewing submissions, the panel upheld the original result, ruling that Kitara complied with player eligibility regulations and did not field any ineligible player.
The twin decisions reinforce FUFA’s strict position on fixture compliance while demonstrating discretionary judgment where deemed appropriate.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
