Uganda Peoples’ Defence Force Football Club (commonly known as UPDF FC) is a Ugandan professional football club based in Bombo, Luweero District. The club currently plays in the Uganda Premier League, the country’s top division.
UPDF FC has played in many leagues since 1980 but as Simba FC.
History The club traces its roots to the famous Simba FC, the original army team founded in 1968, which won the Uganda Super League twice (1971 and 1978) and reached the 1972 African Cup of Champions Clubs final.
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.
Crest
Ownership and management The club is owned and operated by the 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, a former coach of the Uganda national football team. Performance UPDF FC has been a mid-table team in recent seasons. In the 2020–21 Uganda Premier League, they finished 8th in their comeback season. In 2023–24, the club finished 12th out of 16 teams, narrowly avoiding relegation.
Season-by-season record SeasonDivisionPositionNotes2019–20Uganda Premier League15thRelegated2020–21Uganda Premier League8thReturned after promotion2021–22Uganda Premier League11th2022–23Uganda Premier League13th2023–24Uganda Premier League12th2024-25Uganda Premier League10th Honours Continental African Cup of Champions Clubs Runners-up (1): 1972
Domestic Ugandan Premier League Champions (2): 1971, 1978 Ugandan Cup Winners (2): 1977, 2011
Performance in CAF competitions African Cup of Champions Clubs: 4 appearances 1972: Finalist 1973: Second Round 1974: First Round 1979: First Round
CAF Cup Winners' Cup: 2 appearances 1978 – First Round 1999 – Second Round
Current squad Confirmed squad for the 2024–25 season.
See also Uganda Premier League Uganda People’s Defence Force References
External links Team profile – The Biggest Football Archive of the World (archived 28 February 2014)