SOCCER governing body FUFA has given Proline Academy the go-ahead to take over financially troubled Super League side Nalubaale FC. The team that will compete in the 2009/10 Super League, will be called Proline FC.
By Swalley Kenyi
SOCCER governing body FUFA has given Proline Academy the go-ahead to take over financially troubled Super League side Nalubaale FC. The team that will compete in the 2009/10 Super League, will be called Proline FC.
An agreement detailing the take over between the two clubs was presented to FUFA in Mengo yesterday.
Directors of Nalubaale and Proline could not disclose the cash value involved in the deal while the composition of the players to feature is still under debate.
Although Proline and Nalubaale planned a joint announcement of their agreement yesterday, it was called off.
FUFA Competitions Committee secretary Moses Magogo said that they had no objections to the deal because it did not contravene the Nalubaale constitution nor that governing the Super League.
Nalubaale has released all their players for free and Proline Academy director Mujib Kasule said they don’t need them as they intend to rely on the academy players.
There has also been a debate about the name of the team, although FUFA rules allow Proline to rename Nalubaale.
Nalubaale officials had wanted the side called Nalubaale-Proline but Kasule said yesterday that everything to do with Nalubaale had been offset.
“We paid them. Everything is in the sale agreement with them. I can’t tell you how much we bought the club but we shall use our academy players,†Kasule confirmed.
Nalubaale gained promotion to the Super League in 2007, but deteriorated after founder Abdukarim Njubi abandoned it, accusing some players and officials of lack of commitment.
It is the second time a financially trapped Uganda Super League team is bought by a first division side.
In 2005, financially troubled Ggaba United FC were bought by another first division team Kampala United.
The team changed its name to Kampala United when Patrick Isiagi and Yusuf ‘Chuni’ Kyeyune bailed it out under the same circumstances, but the team was relegated from the Super League the same year.