After the hooliganism that has characterized the University Football League (UFL), many soccer fans would think twice before attending Saturday’s final.
Most of the league’s matches have been marred by crowd violence raising serious viability questions. Organisers have however assured the public that all will be well this time.
“That’s exactly why we put the final at Namboole. Security will be tight,” stressed the league’s manager Anthony Tumwesigye.
“There will be a huge police deployment and serious security checks,” explained Tumwesigye before heading to a security meeting.
Tumwesigye said the respective universities will have specific wings in the stadium.
This is one of the measures aimed at ensuring order. Riotous students have stormed onto the field during games disrupting play. Some of the matches have ended pre-maturely.
“That will not happen in Namboole. Unlike the open university grounds where earlier matches have been, Namboole is easy to secure thereby controlling the crowd,” he added.
It is however not yet clear whether the organisers have ensured sanity before and after the match.
There are fears that the two finalists, who are from universities close to Namboole could be chaotic outside the stadium.
UFL on Sunday announced that that KIU had forfeited their second leg semi-final match to MUBS after their players walked off the pitch contrary to rules.
KIU were as a result relegated to the third place play-off. The match ended prematurely with MUBS leading 2-0 on aggregate when KIU fans stormed the pitch.
The KIU fans refused to leave the field claiming two of their players had been hit by MUBS fans.
This is the first time that the league has been played in a knockout format.
The champion will walk away with sh2.5m, second team-sh1.5m and third place team sh1m.
Past winners include MUK in 2012 and KU in 2013.
Nile Special University Football League
Final: MUBS v Kyambogo (Today at 3pm)
Third place playoff: KIU v Nkumba (1pm)
By James Bakama, The New Vision