Gaddafi FC seeks top flight return with UPPC takeover
L-R: Gaddafi FC coach Allan Kabonge, club Patron Joseph Opio Okurut and team captain Thomas Kakaire display one of the jerseys during the unveiling in Entebbe. PHOTO/PAUL ADUDE
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The UPPC Public and Corporate Affairs Manager Rebecca Nyakairu said the programme was introduced to promote talent and well being of their employees of which 80 percent are youths.
Firebrand coach Allan Kabonge has that Gaddafi FC is seeking a quick promotion back to the Star Times Uganda Premier League (UPL) after the team’s take over by Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation (UPPC) FC which followed the team’s relegation last season to the second-tier division.
While speaking to the press during the official unveiling of the club to the public on Friday at the UPPC offices in Entebbe, Kabonge who was unveiled as the club’s coach noted his main target is to promote the club back to the Premier league and ensure it plays on the continent in the future.
“I promote clubs, my target is to promote them to Premier League, that's my target and it is my mission to stay with the team in the Premier league since I now have the Caf B papers that allow me to coach in the premier league unlike in the past when I lacked the qualifications since I only had Caf C qualification which I held for a long time” he said.
Kabonge who has promoted five clubs to the premier league said the team hopes to win it’s first match during match day two of this season’s Big league against Kigezi Home Boyz on Sunday at their new home Entebbe Works playground in Entebbe Municipality.
“In our first game we drew against Kaaro Karungi, I went for a win but I didn’t get it however I managed to get one point which was a credit on my side as a football coach but here at home, I'm going for a must win” he said.
The UPPC FC President, Mr. Joseph Opio Okurut said UPPC FC will operate under Gaddafi FC until the end of the season with a seven-year strategic plan to ensure the club maintains playing top tier football both domestically and on the continent.
“As UPPC, we have an agenda to promote and skill talent, as per the government's agenda of skilling the youth, we started this as a dream with a team that was participating in corporate leagues, and corporate events, from that, we saw that we can do more after identifying our strength in sport” he said,
Okurut added, “That's when we went out to source for whom we could partner with, we looked out for clubs which were available in the market at that time and we looked around and a number of clubs were identified, reached out too. But of course, after all the engagement, you have to zero in one and move forward, that is why we zeroed on Gaddafi, this year, we're using Gaddafi FC as part of the FUFA regulations, God willing, by next year, we shall be using our full brand as UPPC FC”.
The UPPC Public and Corporate Affairs Manager Rebecca Nyakairu said the programme was introduced to promote talent and well-being of their employees of which 80 percent are youths.
“As we do this, we are also trying to reach out to the general public to show talent and also to promote sports at a national level, which later can be a good source of income for the entire nation and contribute to their tax income” she said.
