FWEL: The good, bad and ugly of the regular season

KQ live up to the billing
Kampala Queens also employ national team coach Faridah Bulega and have contributed the biggest numbers to the Crested Cranes in recent engagements.
The only way Bulega would justify this kind of selection at national level was by leading her club to the playoffs. They made it in a group that had three of last year’s semi-finalists; Olila, Uganda Christian University (UCU) and Uganda Martyrs High School (UMHS), Lubaga.

Promotion and relegation
Fufa have worked tirelessly to ensure regional football goes on undeterred this season. It is promised that those that finished bottom of the groups will go down while two or more teams could be promoted to the FWEL next season.

The bad
UCU collapse
UCU Lady Cardinals are the disappointment of the season. They signed Kawempe’s core of Ruth Aturo, Yudaya Nakayenze and Hasifah Nassuna at the start of the season. Before the trio joined, UCU had made it to all playoffs in the last three seasons and had finished runners-up last season.
But somehow this bolstered squad conspired to lose twice to Kampala Queens and once to Olila as they missed out on the playoffs for the first time.
Ajax fail again
For the fourth time, Ajax have failed to translate a strong start to the campaign into a playoff position.

Kawempe’s home record falls
Record champions Kawempe had never lost a league match at home till Saturday when Gafford beat them 0-1. The despair could be plainly read on the faces of Kawempe captain Mariam Nakabugo and coach Ayub Khalifan as the Gafford players, management and fans celebrated on rival-territory.
Ikwaput, Nabbosa throw in towels
After their plan to move to Kampala Queens in January fell through, Olila’s quartet of Fazilah Ikwaput, Ritah Nabbosa, Vanessa Kalungi and Cissy Nantongo kept away.
Eventually Ikwaput and Nabbosa got a month’s stint in India with Gokulam Kerala consequently missing the Africa Women Cup of Nations qualifiers too.
Kalungi and Nantongo returned to Olila as prodigal daughters last month but Ikwaput and Nabbosa, who returned from India, cannot play local football till next season.

The ugly
Ajax coach dies
On April 2, the football fraternity woke up to the sudden demise of Ajax assistant coach John Ssemuli.
The club was pushing for a playoff place then but performances nose-dived since. To appreciate the role of assistant coaches, one needs to look at the close relationship between Kawempe’s Khalifan and assistant Moses Nkata. Or the much improved second round UCU had when Peter Ssebulime joined Tony Membe’s technical bench.

Western United relegated
Mbarara side Western United were among the first sides to make FWEL playoffs in 2015. Three years on, the side are a shadow of what they were.
They survived relegation through a change in rules last season and might need the same to survive this time as they finished last in Victoria Group with four points in 12 games.

Eastern Heroes demoted
Eastern Heroes did not even put up a fight as they were demoted in the first round for missing games.

Victoria Group
Club P W D L F A Pts
Kawempe 12 9 2 1 20 3 29
Gafford 12 6 5 1 13 7 23
Ajax Queens 12 6 3 3 15 8 21
Rines 12 5 4 3 14 16 19
S. Corporates 12 3 3 6 10 9 12
Muteesa 12 2 2 8 6 12 8
Western Utd 12 1 1 10 5 28 4

ELIZABETH GROUP
Club P W D L F A Pts
Olila 13 9 3 1 27 7 30
Kla Queens 13 8 4 1 25 6 28
UCU 13 8 2 3 28 5 26
UMHS 13 6 4 3 15 8 22
Isra Academy 13 3 4 6 13 22 13
She Mak 13 3 1 9 15 33 10
Wakiso Hills 13 2 2 9 8 35 8