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UPDF bolster armoury with veterans
UPDF coach Paul Kiwanuka must galvanise the team. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
With a fresh arsenal of experienced signings, the club has set its sights firmly on a top-ten finish, with relegation talk firmly in the rearview mirror. This time around, survival is not on their agenda; it is all about climbing the table.
Having narrowly dodged the relegation bullet last season, UPDF are leaving no stone unturned ahead of the new StarTimes Uganda Premier League campaign.
With a fresh arsenal of experienced signings, the club has set its sights firmly on a top-ten finish, with relegation talk firmly in the rearview mirror. This time around, survival is not on their agenda; it is all about climbing the table.
The 1971 and 1978 league winners have shipped in experienced compatants; Sam Ssekamatte, Ronald Kayondo, Joseph Janjali, Shafik Mayanja, Henry Lubwama, Asaph Segujja and Richard Anyama.
New dawn
UPDF coach Paul Kiwanuka, who arrived late in the season to steer the Bombo side away from the relegation abyss, has now vowed to push the club into loftier heights.
Armed with years of top-flight experience, Kiwanuka is determined to transform his team into serious contenders, aiming to drag them to the table of men where only the league's elite dine.
His focus is clear: build a disciplined, competitive side ready to fight for respect and results.
" We intend not to worry about relegation this season because the pre-season preparations have been better. I came late last season but this time we have brought players with the same ambitions as the team to be competitive," Kiwanuka revealed.
In a bid to address last season’s glaring issues in attack, creativity, and defence, UPDF have dipped into the transfer market, securing seasoned players to solve their on-field dilemmas.
With these reinforcements, the club is confident they have the tools to hit the ground running.
The squad has undergone a much-needed overhaul, shedding dead weight and bringing in fresh faces who are ready to make an immediate impact.
Djibril Nsimbe, Rogers Adriko and Douglas Oyirwoth have been deemed surplus to requirements at UPDF.
No barracks escape
Determined to better last season’s underwhelming 27-point tally from 29 games, UPDF are setting their sights on making their Bombo Barracks Stadium a dreaded fortress for visiting teams.
The club knows that success at home will be key to climbing the table, and they’re determined to turn every match into a battle.
True to their gritty and combative style, which has often rattled even the league’s finest, the team plans to maintain that same relentless approach. Opponents should expect a tough, unyielding fight inside the Barracks turf this season.
The Soldier Boys will kick off their league campaign with a visit to an unpredictable rival from the armed forces - Maroons - on Sunday, a match that promises to be no walk in the park.
Despite the challenge, Kiwanuka, formerly at Bright Stars and Vipers, remains confident, insisting that this is a new, robust, and hungry UPDF outfit ready to shake the tables this season.
With their eyes firmly on a top ten finish, UPDF plan to make a statement from the get-go, showing that last season’s struggles are behind them. It’s a fresh chapter, and they’re determined to write it in bold.
StarTimes Uganda Premier League
UPDF - first five fixtures
Sept. 15: Maroons vs. UPDF, 3pm
Sept. 19: UPDF vs.Lugazi
Sept. 24: Nec vs. UPDF
October 1: UPDFvs. Wakiso Giants
October 19: KCCA vs.UPDF
UPDF at a glance
Founded: 1968
Full name: UPDF Simba Football Club
Nickname(s): The Lion Army/Soldier Boys
Chairman: Lt. Col. John Andrew Kulu
Ground: Bombo military stadium
Manager: Paul Kiwanuka
Last Season: 13th
League Champions (2): 1971, 1978
Uganda Cup winners (2): 1977, 2011
Players in: Sam Ssekamatte, Ronald Kayondo, Joseph Janjali, Shafik Mayanja, Henry Lubwama, Asaph Segujja and Richard Anyama
Players out: Djibril Nsimbe, Rogers Adriko and Douglas Oyirwoth
