FWSL title: Stats show chasers must improve drastically

The Fufa Women Super League (FWSL) returns this week and the work is clearly cut out for every team behind Kampala Queens, who top the table with 27 points - eight more than second-placed Uganda Martyrs High School (UMHS) Lubaga.

UMHS scored the most goals (21) but their undoing was probably that they, like Uganda Christian University (UCU) Lady Cardinals and defending champions She Corporate, kept some of the fewest clean sheets (just two compared to KQ's seven) before the league broke off on November 20, 2022.

KQ's strength can be measured in the fact that they have kept a third of the league's 21 clean sheets this far, although clean sheets were not part of the data released by Fufa on Sunday to pump up teams for the second round.

With almost half of the team that represented Uganda at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations in January 2022 including goalkeeper Daisy Nakaziro, defenders; Asia Nakibuuka, Sumaya Komuntale and Lukia Namubiru, in their ranks, KQ's dominance is almost guaranteed.

Even Lady Doves, who have just 13 points, have kept one more clean sheet than the three aforementioned teams that were initially tipped to compete with KQ.

Kawempe Muslim and Olila High School should also probably be placing higher but that they have kept as many clean sheets as the promoted sides Makerere University and Asubo-Gafford plus usual relegation scrappers Rines is indicative of teams regularly let down by their rearguard.

It is also telling of their lack of confidence at the back that Olila and Kawempe used three goalkeepers respectively in the first half of the league. She Corporate also did the same as Daphine Nyayenga was constantly unavailable with school commitments.

Overall, according to Fufa, the league has seen 217 players take part. Of these 27 are goalkeepers which represents 12.7 percent.

Goals

There have been more defenders (69) than players in any other departments. And these have contributed 16 goals; five of those scored by defenders like Bira Nadunga and Eunice Ariokot from Olila.

Of the 64 players that are regarded as midfielders by the league, Kawempe's are the most prolific scoring seven of the 29 total goals from the middle of the park.

Of course, Kawempe heavily rely on their diminutive pair of Shakirah Nyinagahirwa and Hadijah Nandago to decide games but they do not get much support from elsewhere.

The season before, She Corporate were defensively solid and that made up for their reliance on midfielder Phiona Nabbumba to win them games. She has struggled to fire them in this season.

The league has had 57 forwards and these have scored 88 goals this far. UCU and UMHS have had the most prolific forwards. The former led by Ashiat Naluggwa while the latter had Latifah Nakasi and Brenda Munyana scoring almost freely.

KQ's forwards led by Resty Nanziri followed with 14 goals while none of Asubo-Gafford's forwards scored in the first nine games. That's probably why the Kisaasi-based side are languishing at the bottom of the table with four points and eight goals scored.

TABLE

TEAM                          P          W        D          L          F          A          PTS
Kampala Queens         9          9          0          0        18        2          27

Uganda Martyrs          9          6          1          2          21        5          19

UCU Lady Cardinals    9          5          1          3          16        13        16

Lady Doves                  9          4          1          4          14        6          13

Olila HS                       9          4          0          5          12        16        12

She Corporate             9          2          5          2          12        10        11

Kawempe Muslim       9          4          2          3          14        11        10

Makerere University   9          1          5          3          9          13        8

Rines SS                       9          2          1          6          8          18        7

Asubo Gafford             9          1          1          7          8          28        4

FWSL - First Round
The Numbers
217 - Number of players
*27 goalkeepers - 12.7 percent
*69 defenders - 31.8 percent
*64 midfielders - 29.4 percent
*57 forwards - 26.4 percent 

133 - Number of goals scored thus far
*Defenders - contributed 16 goals
*Midfielders - contributed 29 goals
*Forwards - contributed 88 goals

21 clean sheets 
7 - Kampala Queens
3 - Lady Doves
2 - UMHS, UCU, She Corporate
1 - Olila, Makerere, Kawempe, Asubo-Gafford, Rines