Covid-19 restrictions key as Arua Hill seal UPL promotion

The Fufa competitions committee will sit to decide whether the Fufa Big League is played to its conclusion following the new restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19 announced on Sunday.

Among the new restrictions, inter district travel is banned. This is troublesome as the teams playing in the second tier are not located in multiple districts.

While Terrazzo & Tiles and Kigezi HomeBoyz are in Kabale, Paidha Black Angels host their games in Zombo. 
In addition, the eastern region has Bukedea’s Blacks Power and Kataka from Mbale while Gaddafi hails from Jinja.

This spread is repeated across the 16-team division that are pooled in two groups.   

“We will decide about remaining games early June 10 to see whether the travelling teams will be allowed to,” Fufa’s Aisha Nalule says. 

Arua Hills are all but promoted to the Uganda Premier League after fighting hard to share spoils with Gadafi yesterday in Jinja.

The side needed a straight win to seal promotion but the draw coupled with Blacks Power’s 1-0 loss to Mbale Heroes in Bukedea means they’re all but through.

Their 27 points and a positive goal difference of 14 means second-placed Gadafi will need to score eight unanswered against Calvary on Sunday and Arua lose to Paidha Black Angels in Arua.

We knew that they’re good in possessing the ball and attacking through the wings so, we decided to stay back and play deep as we looked for a point. The goal difference is too big and we thank God for the reward of promotion” Arua Hill coach Hussein Mbalangu is confident his team is through.

Arua finished the game with 10 players after Alfred Leku was given matching orders for sticking his elbow on Musa Magumba’s face with five minutes to go. 

However, Gadafi will be left with their strikers to blame after wasting tonnes of open chances in front of goal.

“We have ourselves to blame for the laxity.  We wanted goals, created open chances but wasted all of them. Our focus now shifts to the playoffs because, to be honest, we don’t have another chance to go top of the group,” a dejected Hassan Zungu said of his team’s wasted opportunities. 

In Rwenzori group, Tooro United piled unnecessary pressure on themselves into the last match day after failing to beat Luweero United in Kasana. The side needed a win to sail through but fired blanks in a 0-0 and therefore reducing their gap with Proline to only two points. Proline clipped Ndejje University 3-2 in a goal-fest at Ndejje.

Fufa Big League - June 9 results
Gaddafi         0-0     Arua Hill
Ndejje         2-3     Proline
K. HomeBoyz     3-0        Terazzo&Tiles
Tooro         0-0     Luweero