Refs to enforce age restriction

By Johnson Were

Uganda Cup fixtures today

Boks v Heathens

5pm
At Legends

Jinja v Pirates 4:30pm

In Jinja

Rams v Buffaloes 4:30pm

At Makerere

Walukuba v Impis 4:30pm

In Jinja

Gulu v Kobs 4:30pm

In Gulu

Stallions v Mutoni 4:30pm

At Kyadondo

Sailors v Rhinos 3:30pm

At Legends

UCU v Mongers 4:30pm

As the Nile Special Uganda Cup kicks off today at various grounds, referees have been mandated to block any underage players without written parental and medical doctors’ consent from playing in the tournament.

Paul Nyangabyaki, the URU technical committee chairman, stressed that match officials will stop any player they feel is underage to participate in the league and if the club insists on fielding the player, the referees will make a report that will call for further investigations.

“We are very strict and want clubs to observe the regulations that is why we are mandating referees to act and report such cases of clubs using minors,” Nyangabyaki stated.

Last year a young student passed away in Jinja during a Uganda Cup match.

Meanwhile, Buffaloes coach Robert Sseguya is optimistic his side can win this year’s Uganda Cup despite missing key players who are with the national sevens side at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The Buffaloes start their Uganda Cup campaign against Rams in Makerere in one the opening fixtures of the tournament.

“Yes we have key players like Bijik (Alfred), Pariyo (Philip) and Kasita (Eric) and others on the sevens national team but we are focused on this trophy and we can win it,” Sseguya stated.

“We will take each game as a final and we shall not underrate any team,” Sseguya stressed.

In the other fixtures, defending champions Heathens face Boks at Legends in what is likely to be a one-sided side game. In Northern Uganda, Gulu Elephants host former Cup holders Kobs, while Xfm Impis travels to Jinja to meet second division side Walukuba while Uganda Christian University (UCU) hosts Mongers of Entebbe.