Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) has been suspended from competing in the Pepsi University Football league for two consecutive seasons after they failed to honour three league fixtures last season and they failed to communicate to the authorities on time.
MUST has been competing in the university league for the past six seasons but they have failed to make it past the group stage round. Their failure to make it to the knock out rounds could have pushed them into not honouring these fixtures after they finished the first round bottom of their group with minimal chances of making it out.
Vision Kisenyi, the vice president of the university league governing body Association of Uganda University Sports (AUUS) confirmed the development during the launch of the 2019 ceremony on Wednesday. AUUS also expect an apology letter from the institution.
The 2019 University league is expected to start on Sunday, February 3, and 19 teams, up from 16 are expected to take part with three new additions including Muni University, Kabale University and International University of East Africa (IUEA).
Makerere University will be making a return to the league for the first time after they too were slapped with a one year ban for fan violence.
There will be a playoff qualification round for the first time this year as the new teams will be paired against the bottom placed sides from all four groups of last season to determine who will join the other 12 teams to make 16 teams in the group stages.
“I expect this season to be different with alot of competition with the introduction of the playoff round where bottom placed teams in the group stages will play against the sides that did not make the group stages to see who qualifies for the groups.”
The play off draws saw IUEA get a bye to the group stages to replace MUST, while Arua based Muni University will face off with Gulu University, Kabale University against Nkumba University and MUK will play against Kampala International University.
This is the eighth season since the inception of the league in 2012. MUBS and Kampala University have won it twice each, MUK, UMU and Kyambogo all winning it once.
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