NEC eager to play with Uganda Cup ‘big boys’
Ball Game. Action between NEC and Lufula in the Stanbic Uganda Cup Kampala Region Preliminaries. NEC won 3-0.
What you need to know:
- NEC manager, Brian Buhanda is confident his team is ready to compete against teams from the top two tiers who join the tournament at this stage
This season’s Stanbic Uganda Cup Round of 64 stage is scheduled to be played between January 18 -25 and the full list of qualified teams is as below.
Kampala regional side NEC is among the teams that will be in the draw after defeating Lufula FC 3-0 in the final round of the Kampala Regional Preliminaries that concluded over the weekend.
NEC manager, Brian Buhanda is confident his team is ready to compete against teams from the top two tiers who join the tournament at this stage. “We want to play with the big boys,” Buhanda said lightheartedly in reference to a trending hit song Ameno Amapiano. A record number of teams have registered to play in the 48th edition of the Stanbic Uganda Cup following the re-opening up of the competition to non Uganda Premier League and Big League teams.
Due to the government COVID-19 restrictions, the last season of the Uganda Cup featured only the 32 teams in the Uganda Premier League and Big League with Vipers SC winning only their second cup in September 2021.
However following the re-opening up of the competition to all teams in the country, a record 249 clubs registered to participate in the regional preliminary rounds with 36 teams from the eight regions across the county progressing to the Round of 64.
In the 2019/20 season, a then record of 159 teams participated in the preliminary rounds across the eight regions.
Kampala and Buganda Regions qualified the biggest number of teams with six each followed by Eastern Regions with five teams.
QUALIFIED TEAMS - FULL LIST
Kampala Region (6): PCCP, Kisugu United, NEC FC, Impala Hill, Kireka Young, Nsambya SC
Buganda Region (6): Free Stars, Kajjansi United, Kiyinda Boys FC, Lugazi Municipal, Seeta United and Five Stars
Eastern Region (5): Mbale Heroes, Admin FC, Busia United FC, Iganga Young, Jinja North.
Kitara Region (4): Bujumbura, Rusekere, Booma, Bu’masoli
North Eastern Region (4): Soroti, Ateker, Basekere, Tepa
Northern Region (4): Tawai, Heroes, S. Eagles, Kalongo Utd
West Nile Region (4):Total, Paidha, Paidha BA, Adjumani TC
Western Region (3): Six O’clock, Kigezi HomeBoyz, Kigezi
