Nakapelimen FC players during a training session ahead of the big match
By Edward Akaki
Sports especially football in Karamoja is skyrocketing as numerous talent has been seen crossing the borders to play their games in upper levels.
The 2022/23 season proper of the Stanbic Bank Uganda Cup gets underway this month with a record 308 teams having competed in the Regional Preliminaries to determine which 33 teams joined the StarTimes Uganda Premier League and Big League sides in the Round of 64.
Nakapelimen FC from Moroto is the first ever team from Karamoja Sub-region to qualify for the Stanbic Uganda Cup and this opens way for the teams in the region to start competing in National levels.
The 308 teams competing in the Regional Preliminaries is an increase from the 249 teams that competed in the previous season (2021/22) and the 159 teams that competed in the 2019/20 season.
Kampala Region had the highest number of teams in the Preliminary Round with 50 teams competing followed by West Nile Region that had 46 teams. Buganda Region had 41 teams while Northern and Eastern each had 40 teams competing. Kitara, Western and Eastern regions had 33, 30 and 28 teams respectively competing within their regions.
The growth in the number of team is testament to the transformation of the competition since the coming on board of Stanbic Bank as title sponsors in 2018 and Kansai Plascon as co-sponsors in 2021 which has seen the prize money for the competition grow from UGX 90 million in 2018 to UGX 120 million in 2019 to UGX 166 million in 2021 and UGX 179 million in 2022.
Teams that qualified from the different regions
Kampala Region (5) Kireka United FC Ntinda United FC Kisugu United FC Water FC KJT
Buganda Region (5) Free Stars FC Simba FC Kiyinda Boys FC Kajjansi United FC Sparks SC
Eastern Region (4) Admin FC Mbale Heroes FC Budondo United FC Busei FC
Kitara Region (4) BlueStar FC Bujumbura Utd SC Fort Portal Boda Boda FC Uganda Pentecostal University FC
North Eastern Region (4) Bukedea Central FC Junior Eagles FC Apuutun FC Nakapelimen FC
Northern Region (4) JLOS FC Pajule Lions FC Elite FC SC Tawai
West Nile Region (3) Araka FC Paidha Black Angels SC Pakwach Young Stars SC
Western Region (4) Kigezi HomeBoyz FC Bunyaruguru United FC Bushenyi Veterans FC Gorilla Highlands SC
Draws for the Stanbic Bank Round of 64 came out on Tuesday 24th January 2023 at FUFA House at 10:30am with matches scheduled to be played between 28th January and 6th February 2023.
Round of 64 full draws
Nakapelimen FC has been drawn to play 8th placed Uganda Premier League side Soltilo Bright Stars at Naitakwae sports complex, Moroto in the first ever Stanbic Uganda Cup game to be played on Karamoja soil.
