Overview:
Police, Lugazi and Mbale Heroes were promoted to the StarTimes Uganda Premier League effective the 2024-2025 season.
2023-2024 betPawa Big League:
- Champions: Police Football Club – 56 points
- Runners up: Lugazi Football Club – 53 points
- 2nd Runners up: Mbale Heroes Football Club – 49 points
Individual Awards:
- Most Valuable Player (MVP): Denis Kalanzi (Police Football Club)
- Best Goalkeeper (Golden Gloves): Fahad Emuran (Lugazi Football Club)
- Top Scorers (Golden Boot): Dickson Nuwamanya (Booma Football Club) – 16 goals
- Fair-Play Award: Young Elephants Football Club
Police Football Club is the champion of the 2023-2024 betPawa big league.
The peace-keepers’ side were crowned victors after a hard-fought 1-0 victory on the road away to Kataka at the Mbale city stadium on Sunday, June 2, 2024.
Isaac “Falcao” Ogwang was the hero with the all-important goal, a left footed finish inside the goal area.
Led by Simon Peter Mugerwa (head coach) and other tacticians on the team, Police Football Club amassed a total of 56 points from 27 matches.
“This is a special day for Police Football Club to be crowned as champions of the betPawa big league. Personally, I am happy for the entire team; players, fellow coaches, management and the fans” Mugerwa remarked.
Christened as the “Cops”, Police recorded 16 victories, the biggest number of matches won in the entire season, 8 draws and 3 losses.
Second placed Lugazi Football Club overcame Jinja North United 2-0 at the Kyabazinga Stadium – Bugembe in Jinja city to cement second place with 53 points (14 wins, 11 draws and 2 losses).
Lethal forward Samuel Ssemugugu scored a brace in this match.
In the third place was Mbale Heroes won fell 1-4 on the road to Kiyinda Boys at the Bertham city stadium.
The trio; Police, Lugazi and Mbale Heroes were promoted to the StarTimes Uganda Premier League effective the 2024-2025 season.
Elsewhere, Onduparaka defeated visiting Calvary 3-0 at the Green Light Stadium in Arua city during a game where legend Samson Ceaser Okhuti officially retired from the beautiful game as a player.
At the Kabale Municipal stadium, Kigezi Home Boyz beat Booma 4-2.
Individual top performers:
The most valuable player (MVP) for the season was Denis Kalanzi of Police Football Club.
The best goalkeeper (Golden Gloves winner was Lugazi’s Fahad Emuran with 13 clean sheets.
Dickson Nuwamanya (Booma Football Club) won the golden boot having scored 16 goals, including a brace against Kigezi Home Boyz on the final day of the season.
Relegated Young Elephants Football took the fair-play award.
Crowning ceremony was witnessed by FUFA delegation that had the executive committee member Rogers Mulindwa and delegate Hassan Kirunda, representatives from the league sponsors betPawa led by the country marketing manager Ivy Igundura and Police officials.
Police Football Club earned a trophy and gold medals with betPawa branded hampers to the players and officials.
Relegation:
Kyetume, Jinja North United, Young Elephants and Ndejje University were all relegated to the respective regional leagues.
Ndejje University only featured in the first-round games before requesting to pull out of the league at the start of the second round.
betPawa bankrolled the 2023-2024 big league as one of the properties they sponsor.
The other two are FUFA Drum (Inter-Provinces) and betPawa Futsal super league.
Match Day 29 Results:
- Kataka 0-1 Police
- Jinja North United 0-2 Lugazi
- Kiyinda Boys 4-1 Mbale Heroes
- Kigezi Home Boyz 4-2 Booma
- Onduparaka 3-0 Calvary
- Kyetume 2-2 Blacks Power
