Football, Latest News, Local Sports News, StarTimes Uganda Premier League
In a stunning twist ahead of the weekend’s Uganda Premier League kickoff, Vipers Sports Club, arguably Uganda’s most electrifying football powerhouse, has thrown down the gauntlet, refusing to honour Saturday’s double-header fixture against Kitara FC at Namboole Stadium. The move sends shockwaves across the East African football scene, igniting debates over governance, fairness, and the soul of the beautiful game.Like thunder rolling across the hills of Kampala, Vipers SC has roared loud and clear: they will not be silenced. In a strongly worded letter addressed to FUFA, the Federation of Uganda Football Associations, Vipers SC President, Dr. Lawrence Mulindwa, expressed outright rejection of the newly introduced 2025/26 league format. The club argues the changes were made without due consultation, transparency, or regard for the financial and logistical pressures facing privately run clubs like theirs. “We have been met with ridicule, blackmail, and silence,” the letter reads, painting a picture of a club pushed to the edge but unwilling to bow.The issue at the heart of the storm? A controversial league format overhaul announced just weeks before the season’s kickoff. Vipers claim they’ve raised critical questions in prior letters dated August 23rd, September 23rd, and again on September 29th, but received no formal feedback from FUFA. Despite the ongoing standoff, the league body proceeded to include the club in this Saturday’s season-opening fixture, a move Vipers describes as “unethical, disrespectful, and dismissive of our contributions to national football.”But this is more than a boycott; it’s a call to conscience. In refusing to play, Vipers SC is striking a chord for governance, fairness, and dialogue, reminding all that football isn’t just played with feet, but with heart, honour, and principle. “We shall not participate in the announced fixture or any engagement under the new format,” declared Dr. Mulindwa, with the conviction of a captain steering his ship through a brewing storm. With copies of the objection sent to Uganda’s top sports officials, sponsors, and fans, Vipers is ensuring their voice echoes far beyond the pitch.As Saturday looms and Namboole’s lights prepare to glow, one thing is clear, the game may go on, but it won’t be the same without the Venoms. Whether this ends in a red card for reform or a handshake at the centre circle remains to be seen. But for now, Vipers SC stands tall in football’s theatre, not just as players, but as poets, protesters, and protectors of the game’s soul.“Where silence is loud and answers are few,The Venoms strike not with boots, but truth.”
