Uganda Premier League (UPL) champions Vipers Sports Club have moved to expand the VIP section of their St Mary’s Stadium.
The expansion of the stadium is being done ahead of the next season which will also see Vipers engage in the Caf Champions League after they were declared champions of the abandoned season.
The facility at Kitende has been hosting the four-time UPL champions since early 2017 and is regarded as one of the best-developed stadia in the country.
“An artificial turf was installed replacing a natural grass pitch, magnificent technical areas, a state-of-the-art gym are some of the various developments done since the official opening [in 2017,” the club's statement said.
St Mary's was given the green light to host international matches in March 2020 after a delegation from Caf and Fifa visited it. The inspection was done by Inspectors led by Daniel Amokachi together with Emmanuel Dasoberi.
“However, despite such achievement, the stadium authorities are not sitting on their laurels instead new developments are being introduced to enhance its features further,” Vipers added.
“In readiness for next season where Vipers are set to represent Uganda in the Caf Champions League, the VIP section expansion has taken place during the lockdown.
“The new expansion, adding a further 600 seats to bring the section’s capacity up to 1,225, will officially be opened to the public at the crowning of Vipers as the 2019/20 League Champions.
“Many football facilities have developed in Uganda and Africa at large but the greatest challenge among all is the sustainability with international required standards especially in moments when such facilities are not utilized.
“The management has future plans of further developments in phases as will be revealed from time to time in a bid to keep up with the standards as required by international football bodies.”
Stadium Manager Edward Junior Mulindwa said it is not only the VIP section which is set to undergo expansion and renovation but other areas will also be attended.
“We have installed more seats in the VIP area to accommodate more fans seated comfortably while enjoying football next season,” Mulindwa said.
“Further to that, we are also refurbishing all areas that may have been damaged during the regular season as well as equipping the stadium with other equipment to ease operations as we look forward to football next season.”
The stadium was officially opened in 2017 when Vipers hosted Platinum Stars for a Caf Confederation Cup match.
