Hoima City Stadium will accommodate up to 17,000 supporters when Kitara FC host Mogadishu City FC in the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round next month, giving the new facility one of its biggest competitive tests since opening its doors.
Kitara president Deo Kasozi revealed on Sunday that the National Council of Sports (NCS) had approved the 17,000-capacity for the two fixtures, scheduled for September 6 and 12, with both legs set to be played in Hoima.
The figure also provides a clearer indication of the usable matchday capacity of the stadium, which was constructed as part of Uganda’s infrastructure preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Kitara used the announcement to launch their ticketing plan at Hoima Central Market as the club begins mobilisation for its latest continental campaign.
Of the 17,000 available places, 16,000 have been allocated to ordinary supporters at Shs20,000 each, while 856 VIP tickets will be sold at Shs50,000.
The remaining 144 places are in the Sky VVIP section, where Kitara will sell 12 boxes at Shs1 million each; each box accommodates 12 people.
Kasozi said tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, while gates at Hoima City Stadium will open at midday on both match days.
The two matches should offer another opportunity to assess how the stadium handles a sizeable crowd, particularly in areas such as access, security, crowd movement and match-day operations before Uganda co-hosts AFCON 2027 with Kenya and Tanzania.
For Kitara, however, the 17,000 places also represent a significant commercial opportunity because the club will control gate collections from both fixtures.
Mogadishu City have agreed to play their designated home leg in Hoima, meaning Kitara will effectively stage the entire preliminary-round tie at their home venue.
That advantage comes with additional responsibility, according to Kasozi. Kitara will meet expenses associated with Mogadishu City’s stay, including transport, accommodation and stadium costs.
A 37-member delegation from the Somali club is expected to spend 13 days in Hoima and will be accommodated at an undisclosed hotel under heightened security arrangements.
Playing both legs at Hoima City Stadium should give Kitara greater familiarity with the venue and remove the challenges normally associated with travelling for the away leg of continental competition.
It will also test the strength of the club’s support in Bunyoro, with the 16,000 ordinary tickets accounting for the overwhelming majority of the approved stadium capacity.
Kitara qualified for the CAF Confederation Cup after defeating SC Villa 2-1 in the Stanbic Uganda Cup final, securing both the trophy and Uganda’s ticket to the continental competition.
Their return to Africa now coincides with another important chapter for Hoima City Stadium, which is gradually moving from construction and commissioning into regular competitive use.
A strong crowd for either fixture will carry a lot of significance beyond Kitara’s campaign; for the club, it will provide revenue and home advantage.
For Hoima and Ugandan football authorities, it would provide another practical test of a venue expected to play a role when East Africa hosts AFCON in 2027.
