Calvary FC players and official celebrating the promotion to the Premier League
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Yumbe-based Calvary FC were officially crowned winners of the Big League on Sunday, 22nd June 2025, following their narrow 1-0 victory over Paidha Black Angels in the West Nile derby the previous day.
Despite rain delays at Midigo Primary School, the match was concluded, sealing Calvary’s place at the summit with 52 points.
This in effect means that the Uganda Premier League (UPL) will welcome three debutants next season, Calvary FC, Gadaffi and Buhimba United Saints FC after theysecured historic promotion from the FUFA Big League following a fiercely contested 2024/2025 campaign.
Gaddafi ended their campaign with a commanding 3-0 away win over Kataka in Mbale. Jonathan Mbula (Congo), captain Thomas Kakaire, and seasoned striker Frank Kalanda all found the back of the net in a game played on a waterlogged surface following a pre-match downpour.
At the Barthlem playground in Kiwenda, Buhimba United Saints secured the point they needed in a goalless draw against Kiyinda Boys to confirm their return to top-flight football.
Relegation Woes
On the opposite end of the table, four clubs dropped into regional league football. Booma, Arua Hill, MYDA, and Busoga United were all relegated after a tense conclusion to the season.
Despite an astonishing 10-0 away victory over Booma, Arua Hill failed to escape the drop, finishing on 32 points — the same tally as MYDA. The Tororo-based side lost 1-0 to Kigezi Home Boyz in Kabale, with Joseph Sseremba scoring the decisive goal that ensured the Gorillas’ survival by a single point.
Busoga United, another former Uganda Premier League side, bowed out after a 2-0 defeat to Blacks Power in Lira. Nigerian forward Innocent Maduka netted a brace to cap off an impressive season for the Lira-based outfit, who finished fourth with 49 points — just three shy of the league winners.
Resilience pays
According to Simon Otim, Calvary’s head coach, this is a moment they had longed for over the years.
“Staying in the Big League for four seasons and finally making it to the top shows what resilience really means.”
Calvary’s narrow but crucial win over their Zombo-based rivals saw them finish the season with 52 points—just two ahead of fellow promoted sides Gaddafi and Buhimba, who tied at 50 points apiece.
With their triumph, Calvary joins an elite list of West Nile clubs that have graced Uganda’s top-flight football, following in the footsteps of regional heavyweights like Onduparaka FC, Arua Hill SC, and Paidha Black Angels
