The Uganda Premier League (UPL) has unveiled the full first-round schedule for the 2025/26 campaign, setting the stage for a September 26 kick-off even as tensions rise over sweeping structural reforms.
The release comes on the heels of a controversial decision by the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) to overhaul the competition into a three-round league, a move that has been met with vocal resistance from several top-flight clubs. Meetings between FUFA and club executives at Serena Hotel earlier this week failed to settle nerves, and the federation has yet to make its resolutions public.
Under the newly published fixture list, the first phase of the season will run until February 14, 2026, and feature a series of double-header Matchdays. The league is set to open with one such showcase weekend, with two matches hosted back-to-back at the same venue.
The 2025/2026 Season Round 1 Fixtures are here
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Adding to the intrigue is a revised revenue-sharing model that has left many clubs fuming. Under the new regulations, hosts of single fixtures will retain just 85% of gate revenue after deductions by FUFA and the league’s governing body. Double-headers, now a mandatory feature of the season, will see home teams pocket only 35%, with the league secretariat promising to release a standardized Matchday operations allowance.
While boardroom wrangles rage on, this season brings fresh faces to Uganda’s football elite. Calvary, Entebbe UPPC, and Buhimba United Saints will make their top-flight debuts, injecting new energy into the league. Champions Vipers SC, however, will sit out the opening weekend as they focus on CAF Champions League commitments.
Despite the tension behind the scenes, the fixture release signals that preparations for kick-off are well underway, with Uganda’s football fraternity bracing for one of the most contentious seasons in recent memory.
