Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA), the local football governing body, has rejected Premier League side UPDF FC’s request to change to “Simba FC”, citing name duplication and a policy that all clubs must reflect a community identity, as per Sports Nation Uganda.
The decision deals a setback to UPDF FC’s plan to rekindle its historic bond with fans. The army previously ran Simba FC before its relegation, after which UPDF purchased The Saints FC from Red Pepper executives ahead of the 2016–17 season.
FUFA’s stance was made clear by Deputy CEO for Football, Mr. Kiiza Decolas Hantali: “The request was not satisfactory enough for approval, and the name Simba FC is already in use by another club.”
Interestingly, UWA FC, also formerly known as Simba FC, had hoped to shed the “Simba” tag, but FUFA turned down their application as well.
The federation insists these rulings align with its wider policy of strengthening clubs’ ties to their local areas. The rule was famously enforced when UPPC’s proposed name was declined until “Entebbe” was added, resulting in “Entebbe UPPC FC.”
Meanwhile, the latter, who are fresh into the Uganda Premier League (top-flight division), have recently changed the name from Gaddafi Football Club.
