# UPDF FC > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/UPDF_FC > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/UPDF_FC.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPDF_FC > Source revision: 1349224356 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "UPDF FC" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Association football club in Uganda Football club UPDF FC Full name UPDF Football Club Nickname The Lion Army Founded 1968; 58 years ago (1968) Ground Bombo military stadium Lugazi, Uganda Capacity 15,000 Manager Moses Basena League Ugandan Premier League 2024/25 10th Home colours **Uganda Peoples’ Defence Force Football Club** (commonly known as **UPDF FC**) is a Ugandan professional [football club](/source/Football_club) based in [Bombo](/source/Bombo%2C_Uganda), [Luweero District](/source/Luweero_District). The club currently plays in the [Uganda Premier League](/source/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](/source/Ugandan_Premier_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] ## Crest - Old logo ## Ownership and management The club is owned and operated by the [Uganda People’s Defence Force](/source/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](/source/Basena_Moses), a former coach of the [Uganda national football team](/source/Uganda_national_football_team).[5] ## Performance UPDF FC has been a mid-table team in recent seasons. In the 2020–21 [Uganda Premier League](/source/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](/source/African_Cup_of_Champions_Clubs)** - Runners-up (1): 1972 ### Domestic - **[Ugandan Premier League](/source/Ugandan_Premier_League)** - Champions (2): 1971, 1978 - **[Ugandan Cup](/source/Ugandan_Cup)** - Winners (2): 1977, 2011 ## Performance in CAF competitions - **[African Cup of Champions Clubs](/source/African_Cup_of_Champions_Clubs): 4 appearances** - - [1972](/source/African_Cup_of_Champions_Clubs_1972): *Finalist* - [1973](/source/African_Cup_of_Champions_Clubs_1973): Second Round - [1974](/source/African_Cup_of_Champions_Clubs_1974): First Round - [1979](/source/African_Cup_of_Champions_Clubs_1979): First Round - **[CAF Cup Winners' Cup](/source/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](/source/FIFA_eligibility_rules); some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK UGA Yusuf Waswa 2 GK UGA Anyama Joseph 3 GK UGA Sulaiman Kibalama 4 DF UGA Derrick Jim Ssekulima 5 DF UGA Denis Ssekitoleko 6 DF UGA Musa Mulindwa 7 DF UGA Bashir Kabuye 8 DF UGA Aggrey Kiirya 9 DF UGA Christopher Kamagu 10 DF UGA Oscar Agaba 11 DF UGA Ezekiel Katende 12 DF UGA Abbas Luuty Nsubuga 13 DF UGA Henry Tenywa 14 MF UGA Edward Kawooya 15 MF UGA Ronald Kayondo 16 MF UGA Christopher Tebandeke 17 MF UGA Rashid Faridi 18 MF UGA Hussein Zzinda 19 MF UGA Shakibu Mayanja 20 MF UGA Enrique Lubwama 21 MF UGA Asaph Ssegujja 22 MF UGA Swaibu Kasujja Kalule 23 FW UGA Brian Kalumba 24 FW UGA Frank Mugisa 25 FW UGA Joseph Janjali 26 FW UGA Samson Kigozi 27 FW UGA Samuel Ssekamatte 28 FW UGA Emmanuel Ochen 29 FW UGA Daniel Kitara 30 FW UGA Sulaiman Kibalama ## See also - [Uganda Premier League](/source/Uganda_Premier_League) - [Uganda People’s Defence Force](/source/Uganda_People's_Defence_Force) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. ["Simba FC Lugazi (1969)"](https://www.national-football-teams.com/club/4360/1969_2/Simba_Fc_Lugazi.html). *www.national-football-teams.com*. Retrieved 2024-11-01. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Battle for the finest across three generations"](https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/sports/soccer/battle-for-the-finest-across-three-generations-1892426). *Monitor*. 2020-07-21. Retrieved 2024-11-01. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Simba FC: Uganda's army side of the 1970s"](https://kawowo.com/2017/07/11/the-saints-change-identity-to-updf-football-club/). *Kawowo Sports*. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["The Saints change identity to UPDF Football Club"](https://kawowo.com/2017/07/11/the-saints-change-identity-to-updf-football-club/). *Kawowo Sports*. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Basena takes charge of UPDF"](https://swiftsportsug.com/2023/09/15/basena-confirmed-as-updf-coach/). *Swift Sports Uganda*. 15 September 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["UPDF FC season standings"](https://globalsportsarchive.com/team/soccer/updf-fc/16916/). *Global Sports Archive*. Retrieved 20 August 2025. ## External links - [Team profile](https://web.archive.org/web/20140228054323/http://www.weltfussballarchiv.com/club-profile/uganda/simba-fc/16916/) – *The Biggest Football Archive of the World* (archived 28 February 2014) v t e Uganda Premier League 2023−24 clubs Arua Hill Bright Stars BUL Jinja Express Entebbe KCCA Maroons Mbarara City Police Proline SC Villa UPDF URA Vipers Wakiso Giants This article about a Ugandan football club is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Uganda-footyclub-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3AUganda-footyclub-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Uganda-footyclub-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [UPDF FC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPDF_FC) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPDF_FC?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.