UPDF FC
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| Full name | UPDF Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Lion Army | |
| Founded | 1968 | |
| Ground | Bombo military stadium Lugazi, Uganda | |
| Capacity | 15,000 | |
| Manager | Moses Basena | |
| League | Ugandan Premier League | |
| 2024/25 | 10th | |
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Uganda Peoples’ Defence Force Football Club (commonly known as UPDF FC) is a Ugandan professional football club based in Bombo, Luweero District. The club currently plays in the Uganda Premier League, the country’s top division.
UPDF FC has played in many leagues since 1980 but as Simba FC.[1][2]
History
The club traces its roots to the famous Simba FC, the original army team founded in 1968, which won the Uganda Super League twice (1971 and 1978) and reached the 1972 African Cup of Champions Clubs final.[3]
In 2016, the army acquired "The Saints FC", a club playing in the Uganda Premier League, and rebranded it as UPDF FC in 2017 following FUFA approval.[4]
Ownership and management
The club is owned and operated by the Uganda People’s Defence Force. Management and funding are overseen by the army, while the day-to-day football operations are handled by a professional technical team. As of 2024, the head coach is Moses Basena, a former coach of the Uganda national football team.[5]
Performance
UPDF FC has been a mid-table team in recent seasons. In the 2020–21 Uganda Premier League, they finished 8th in their comeback season. In 2023–24, the club finished 12th out of 16 teams, narrowly avoiding relegation.[6]
Season-by-season record
| Season | Division | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Uganda Premier League | 15th | Relegated |
| 2020–21 | Uganda Premier League | 8th | Returned after promotion |
| 2021–22 | Uganda Premier League | 11th | |
| 2022–23 | Uganda Premier League | 13th | |
| 2023–24 | Uganda Premier League | 12th | |
| 2024-25 | Uganda Premier League | 10th |
Honours
Continental
- African Cup of Champions Clubs
- Runners-up (1): 1972
Domestic
- Ugandan Premier League
- Champions (2): 1971, 1978
- Ugandan Cup
- Winners (2): 1977, 2011
Performance in CAF competitions
- African Cup of Champions Clubs: 4 appearances
- CAF Cup Winners' Cup: 2 appearances
- 1978 – First Round
- 1999 – Second Round
Current squad
Confirmed squad for the 2024–25 season. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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See also
References
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Simba FC Lugazi (1969)". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
- ^ "Battle for the finest across three generations". Monitor. 2020-07-21. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
- ^ "Simba FC: Uganda's army side of the 1970s". Kawowo Sports. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ "The Saints change identity to UPDF Football Club". Kawowo Sports. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ "Basena takes charge of UPDF". Swift Sports Uganda. 15 September 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ "UPDF FC season standings". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
External links
- Team profile – The Biggest Football Archive of the World (archived 28 February 2014)