Uganda Revenue Authority SC

Uganda Revenue Authority SC is a Ugandan football team based in Kampala. The club plays in the Ugandan Premier League. The Club started off in 1997 from what used to be URA end of year Inter-departmental sports competitions. The people instrumental in the organization of these competitions at the time under URA Sports Committee included among others; Mr. Justin Zake ( then the Commissioner for Finance and Administration, later the Deputy Commissioner General – Revenue), Mr. Joash Muhumuza ( the Deputy Commissioner for Finance), Mr. Mpeka Muhumuza ( the Assistant Commissioner for IT), Ms. Flavia Katimbo, Mrs. Kate Kangwage, Mr. Stephen Lugumba Wakame, Mr. Bernard Bainamani, Mr. Alexander Rubanga, Mr. Nixon Twebaze, Mr. Ibrahim Kakooza, Mr. Bernard Babihuga, Mr. Frank Katusiime and Hajji Edrisa Ssesanga Magala. From Inter-departmental sports competitions, the idea of registering a URA Football team with FUFA to play in the Nakawa 2nd Division League was hatched and in 1998 the team was registered under the name Revenue FC and started playing in the Nakawa 2nd Division. The main goal then was to get promoted to Division One and ultimately qualify for the main National Super League, where they would play alongside the perennial heavyweights like SC Villa, Express, KCC, Uganda Police, Simba, Maroons and others. In their bid to qualify for the Super Division Revenue FC realized that they had to engage the services of younger players who would be able to give more time to training and playing football rather than relying on the services of URA employees who had their regular Monday to Friday jobs and then only made time in the evenings and on the weekend to train and play. This move paid off and in 1999, after their first season of club football, Revenue FC was promoted to Division One in Nakawa Football Zone.

In 2000, after their first season in Division One, Revenue FC came very close to qualifying for the Super League under coach Jackson Mayanja assisted by Charles Ayeko (a.k.a. Mbuzi) but fell short in the final play offs losing to Miracle Centre FC of Rubaga Zone. As a result of the stiff competition and politics that made it difficult for Revenue FC to break into the Super League, the Club’s management decided to relocate the club from playing in Kampala District to playing under Rukungiri District Football Association in Western Uganda through URA Rukungiri DT Office. The URA Sports Committee hoped this would create a relatively easier pathway for the team to break into the prestigious Super League. In 2001 Revenue FC qualified for and won the Zonal League hosted by Rukungiri District Football Association giving them a passage to the Western Regional Mini League to be held in Kasese and moving them even closer to the ever elusive Super League. However as fate would have it, the Western Region Organizing Committee petitioned FUFA against Revenue FC for not having played 2nd Division football in the Western region contrary to provisions of the FUFA regulations. URA lost this case and was declared non – existent in Western region. Still hungry to play with the crème de la crème of Ugandan football Revenue FC signed an MOU with Lyantonde FC who had failed to raise 200,000/- as registration fee to participate in the Buganda Regional Mini League competition. The main issues covered in the MOU were: • URA was to pay the 200,000/- registration fee on behalf of Lyantonde FC • URA was to merge its players with Lyantonde FC players and play in the Buganda Regional Mini League. The new look Lyantonde FC made up mostly of ex – Revenue FC players won the Buganda Regional Mini League and finally gained qualification to the illustrious Super League in October 2001. Following their promotion to the Super League the MOU between Revenue FC and Lyantonde FC was strengthened to include the following: • The club’s name would change from Lyantonde FC to URA – Lyantonde FC • URA paid 3 million shillings to Lyantonde FC management to transfer full control of the club to URA • URA was to renovate the Lyantonde sports ground to raise it to FUFA required standards

Super League 2001/2002 Season

For their first season in the Super League, URA – Lyantonde FC had to play from Lyantonde in accordance with FUFA requirements that the team play from where they qualified for the first season. However, the playing field at Lyantonde was not yet up to FUFA required playing standards and so for the first half of the season URA – Lyantonde FC played their home games from Masaka Recreational Ground. From the beginning of the second half of the season the team moved back to play on their own turf in Lyantonde where they lost only one game to SC Villa thanks to their faithful and very supportive fans. URA – Lyantonde FC finished in 4th position in their first Super League season and received the following prizes for their good performance: • 5 million shillings for the best new comer/team in the Super League awarded by Nile Breweries • 5 million shillings for finishing in 4th position The period 2002/2003 In their second season the management of URA – Lyantonde FC dropped the name Lyantonde to be known only as URA FC and registered this new name with FUFA. The management also registered Mandela National Stadium in Namboole as their new home ground. This did not go down well with the original Lyantonde fans and they protested and petitioned to FUFA against URA citing URA’s takeover of their club. URA won the case against the fans and Mandela National Stadium was confirmed as URA FC’s new home ground. The period 2003/2004 – 2004/2005 From 2003/2004 – 2004/2005 seasons URA FC had a good run in the Super League finishing in 4th position for both seasons due to good players, good administration and facilitation. The period 2004/2005 – 2010/2011 In the 2004/2005 Season URA FC won their first major cup-the Kakungulu Cup followed by the Super League Trophy in the 2005/06 season under their former captain and acting head coach Deo Serwadda. Former Head Coach Jackson Mayanja who had earned the club promotion to The Super League in 2001 had joined Kiyovu FC of Rwanda in 2004. In the 2006/2007 Season URA FC defended The Super League Champion’s title under new Head coach Frank Anyau (a.k.a Video). In the 2007/2008 season URA FC finished in 4th place. In the 2008/2009 season URA FC bounced back and won the Super League for the third time. In the 2009/2010 season URA FC finished in 3rd place in the Uganda Super League and was semi finalists of Kakungulu Cup. In the 2010/11 season, URA FC was Uganda Super League Champions and Bell Uganda Cup finalists. In 2012 URA won the Bell Uganda cup URA FC won the IDD ADHUHA cup for 4 years in a row between 2006 and 2009.

From the 2005/06 Season, owing to their successes in the Super League, URA FC qualified and participated in regional and international competitions.

International Engagements & Achievements 2005/2006 – URA FC under Coach Deo Serwadda represented Uganda in the CAF Confederations Cup Competition. In the first leg of the first round URA FC played against World Hope of Kenya in Nairobi and drew 1-1. In the return leg played in Kampala URA FC beat World Hope 1-0 and qualified for the second round. In the second round of the competition URA FC met El Merikh of Sudan. The first leg was played in Kampala and URA won the game 2-1 but lost the second leg in Khartoum 2-0 and was ejected out of the competition. 2006/2007- URA FC under Coach Frank Anyau represented Uganda in the CAF Champions League where they met Cotton Sport de Garoua FC of Cameroon in the first round. In the first leg played in Cameroon, URA FC lost 3-0 and drew 0-0 in the second leg played in Kampala and thus could not progress in the competition. 2007/2008 – URA FC represented Uganda in the CECAFA Club Championships held in Rwanda and finished as runners up to APR of Rwanda, losing 2-1 in the final. 2007/2008 – URA FC under Coach Frank Anyau once again represented Uganda in the CAF Champions League where they met ZESCO United from Zambia in the first round. In the first leg played in Kampala, URA FC lost 2-0 and head coach Anyau was relieved of his duties together with his deputy Abdul Senyondo and Goalkeepers’ coach Ibrahim Mugisha had to take the team to Zambia for the 2nd leg and managed to earn a goalless draw but due to the result of the match played earlier in Kampala URA FC’s journey in the competition was halted. 2008/2009 – URA FC once again represented Uganda in the CECAFA Club Championships held in Tanzania and again fell at the final hurdle 2-1, finishing as runners up to Tusker FC of Kenya. URA FC was a finalist in the season’s Kakungulu Cup competition plus the Regional Tusker Sponsored Tournament which involves champion clubs from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda plus two guest teams. The 2008/09 edition was held in Dar es Salaam. 2009/2010 – For the third time URA FC represented Uganda in the CECAFA Club Championships again held in Rwanda but were not able to progress to the knock-out stages. On the local scene URA FC were finalists in the inaugural Super Eight Tournament which involved the top 8 teams of the preceding season. In the same year URA FC also represented Uganda in the CAF Champions League and in the first round they beat ZANACO FC of Zambia 1-0 in Kampala but lost 4-0 in the return leg played in Lusaka. URA FC won the IDD ADHUHA cup for 4 years in a row between 2006 and 2009.

Contribution to the National Team (The Uganda Cranes) Throughout its existence many URA FC players have featured for the Uganda Cranes. These have included; Ibrahim Mugisha, David Kalungi, David Kiwanuka, David Kazibwe, Philip Obwin, Richard Malinga, Eric Obua, David Kyobe, Patrick Ochan, TonnyMawejje, Johnson Bagoole, Frank Muwonge, Dan Wagaluka, Joseph Owino, MancoKaweesa, Abel Dhaira, Musa Doka, Mike Sserumaga, Henry Kisekka, Derrick Walulya, Patrick Ssenfuka, Jimmy Mukubya, Allan Owinyi, Vincent Kayizi, Steven Bengo, HamisKizza, AlisheAsuman to mention but a few. We have also contributed many players for the U national teams like U23 and U20.