BREAKING: Namboole to host two Startimes UPL games as test matches

By Lawrence kooko.

Mandela National Stadium(Namboole) to host double headers of the Startimes Uganda Premier as requirements by CAF before greenlight to host international game next week on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, FUFA has announced.

 The two games include title rivals BUL hosting Vipers SC at 4PM  and later KCCA play SC Villa at 7PM

Earlier this month, there were circulating reports about CAF's refusual to grant the stadium clearance due to shordy works which do not meet international standards, calling for the intervention of parliament and the ministry of sports.

Namboole Mandela National Stadium has been out of commission since 2020 due to substandard conditions, but extensive renovations by the UPDF Engineering Brigade, funded by a Sh97bn government allocation since 2022, have revamped it.

Revamped Namboole Stadium

However during a press conference at FUFA house in Mengo, Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) FUFA Marketing and Communications Committee chairman Rogers Byamukama  informed the general public that Nambole will host two games as a test match for CAF approval.

“Today I am extremely happy to announce that CAF has granted us the right to hold a test match in Namboole. A test match is the last step of the renovation of the Stadium," Byamukama said.

"Whereas this doubleheader is a test fixture, it remains a home fixture for KCCA & BUL. Our role as FUFA, UPL & Mandela Stadium is to support the home teams,” Byamukama added.

The FUFA president Eng. Moses Magogo also confirmed the move on his X page and said in a statement, "The games between BUL FC and Vipers SC and the one between KCCA FC and SC Villa will serve as part of the test events one of the requirements by CAF before the final approval to host international matches."

FUFA President Eng. Moses Magogo

This move is to ensure that the facility is ready and set as Uganda prepares to host Botswana and Algeria in June 2024 for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

If all goes as planned, Uganda Cranes will host the upcoming two World Cup qualification fixtures against Botswana (3rd June) and Algeria (10th June) in Namboole and will hope to use the home advantage and the fans support to succeed.

The team has been using foreign stadiums to host their games due to the renovation works at Namboole.

Uganda cranes have collected 3 points in the last two games of the qualifiers picking the only three against Somalia and losing to Guinea in their first game.

Uganda Cranes are in group G with leaders Algeria(6points), Botswana(3points), Guinea(3points), Mozambique(3points), Somalia(0points).