Mbale Heroes FC: A Tale Of Relegation, Players Shortages And FUFA’s Registration Penalty.

FUFA Imposes Registration Ban On Mbale Heroes Football Club.

Mbale Heroes FC endured a harsh season in the Startimes Uganda Premier League 2024‑25, struggling game after game until they were finally relegated back to the FUFA Big League, Uganda’s second‑tier football league.

The club’s misery continued into the new season, where they now sit at the bottom of the Big League table. In the first round of the Big League, Mbale Heroes faced an extraordinary difficulty – they could not field a full squad for several matches, ending up with only 9 to 11 players on the pitch, which crippled their performance and left them unable to compete properly.

Credit to FUFA.

The root of this player shortage lies in a financial crisis that triggered a disciplinary action by the FUFA Ethics and Disciplinary Committee (FEDC). On January 12, 2026, the FEDC issued a letter titled “IMPOSITION OF REGISTRATION BAN ON MBALE HEROES FOOTBALL CLUB” addressed to Mbale Heroes Football Club and Mr. Mwebaze Asaph. The letter references a decision of the FEDC (Ethics Nr. 001‑2025) dated December 5, 2025, which notified the parties of the club’s obligations. The FEDC acknowledged receipt of a judgment creditor’s notice informing them that Mbale Heroes failed to comply with its financial obligations in accordance with the aforementioned decision.

Because of this non‑compliance, the FEDC imposed an immediate ban on registering new players on Mbale Heroes FC. The ban will remain in force until the due amount is paid in full as specified in paragraph 5 of the FEDC decision. The registration department is instructed to enforce this ban at the beginning of the next registration period, preventing Mbale Heroes from signing any new players until the debt is settled or the ban is lifted by the FUFA Ethics and Disciplinary Committee.

The specific financial obligation that sparked the ban is the UGX 11.4 million owed to former coach Mr. Mwebaze Asaph (referred to in the document as Mr. Mwebaze Asaph), which the club has not paid.

Asap Mwebaze credit to Jale Morgan

This unpaid debt is cited as the main reason the FEDC enforced the registration prohibition, directly causing the shortage of players – since the club cannot recruit new players, they are forced to play with incomplete squads of 9 to 11 players in Big League matches.

As a result, Mbale Heroes FC remains stuck at the bottom of the Big League, suffering both on‑field performance issues due to insufficient players and off‑field financial penalties imposed by the FEDC’s registration ban. The club’s future hinges on settling the UGX 11.4 million debt and having the FUFA Ethics and Disciplinary Committee lift the registration ban, which would allow them to sign new players and rebuild their squad.