Vipers SC President Dr. Lawrence Mulindwa has advised FUFA not to waste time but declare table leaders Express FC as the champions of the 2020/2021 Season of the StarTimes Uganda Premier League .
The former FUFA President made those remarks on Monday morning at Kitende, as he briefed the media on a number of football issues both at his club and the league as well.
It comes at a time, when the League was put on hold, following presidential directives that stopped all activities including sports, to curb the surging numbers of Covid 19 cases in the country.
Before the league was put on hold, Express were on top with 58 points, one ahead of second placed URA and two ahead of third placed Vipers , with four games left.
Last season, Vipers were crowned champions following a boardroom decision that required to bring the 75% clause of the competition, after the league was halted by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
“I want to strongly advise the Federation and those ones in charge of UPL just as they applied the 75% rule in the previous Season, they should do it now, infact they would have done it yesterday to declare Express FC as champions of this current season. Mulindwa Stated
“They should not waste time, the rule is very clear 75%, we are facing a problem ,Covid is not going to go away in July ,it may exceed even in August. Now they are telling us we shall not have a representative, we shouldn’t waste time on these things.”
The Honary President added on that the pandemic is out of control for almost everyone.
“Before the lockdown, most of the clubs were remaining with four games or three. Yes these are external factors, where were we don’t have control , FUFA and clubs do not have control over them. Covid came and the entire economy was locked down including sports.”
Before the lockdown that halted sporting activities, the title race was between three clubs with four games left, and surely anything could happen with the remaining fixtures.
Express were leading on 58 points, URA FC in second with 57 points and Vipers in third with 56 points.
Mathematically all the three clubs still have a chance, something Mulindwa admits before adding on that the champions need time to prepare for the continental football.
“Ofcourse when you look at the whole scenario, mathematically URA FC, Vipers SC and Express, all of them have a chance of winning the title. Because the gap is slight and with the four games those are 12 points, anything can happen.
“But now, the situation is very tricky, we are entering July ,clubs have to represent Uganda on the continent. Representing a country, you don’t just wake up and announce the winner, in August and the following week you represent, no it is a process.
“There must be adequate preparations of those two clubs to represent the country in the two competitions because other countries are preparing, for them they are not in lockdown.”
As one who owns a club in Vipers, Mulindwa says he talks as one of the football administrators in the country and there is no any feeling.
“There shouldn’t be any feeling, me I’m for Vipers I would have said let’s wait and play, they also have a chance, no am looking at this as one of the administrators of football in this country, a not conservative and selfish because Vipers is one of the contenders.
“Let them inform Express because it is the one with highest points, let them declare it as champions of this season. Then we move forward. This will enable Express to prepare, they need to mobilize resources, hire players, it requires a lot of money for those matches.”
As it was last season where Vipers were crowned champions following a boardroom decision, Express FC might be declared champions in the same manner.
