Convicted match-fixers, former KPL players banned in Uganda

Former Sofapaka midfielder Moses Feni Ali has been handed a lifetime ban from all football-related activities after being found guilty of match-fixing by the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA).

Meanwhile, Fred Nkata, who previously featured for Gor Mahia, Tusker FC and Nairobi City Stars and was recently playing for Uganda Premier League side Buhimba United Saints FC, has been banned from football for five years.

In a ruling issued on June 1, 2026, FUFA's Ethics and Disciplinary Committee established that Ali was among five individuals who violated Articles 43 and 44 of the FUFA Ethics and Disciplinary Code. Investigators identified him as the principal intermediary and coordinator behind the match-fixing scheme. Nkata, the son of former Tusker FC coach Paul Nkata, was also found guilty and handed a five-year ban.

FUFA's investigation revealed that Ali used his status as a former player to infiltrate dressing rooms and recruit active players and club officials across several matches on behalf of external match-fixers.

One of the matches under investigation was the Uganda Premier League fixture between Lugazi FC and Buhimba United Saints FC on November 8, 2025, which ended in a 5-2 victory for Lugazi.

"The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) established that the former SC Villa, URA FC, Proline FC, Wakiso Giants FC and Kyetume FC player coordinated match-fixing in several matches, including a game between Lugazi FC and Buhimba United Saints FC, by acting as an intermediary between players and fixers," read part of the ruling.

The sanctions come just days after Ali's former club Sofapaka suffered a humiliating 6-0 defeat on May 30, 2026, at the Kasarani Annex in a match marred by controversy. Sofapaka head coach Edward Manoah, whose side had already been relegated, stormed onto the pitch and accused some of his players of match-fixing. The match was briefly halted before play resumed.

"If only Kenyan players would realise the bigger picture of football. FKF should do more to curb this menace. Everyone is involved, even some referees. It is a sad state of affairs in Kenyan football," Manoah had earlier told the media during a training session before the match.

Ali, a Ugandan, featured for Batoto Ba Mungu in 2017 and spent only six months at the club. Despite emerging as the highest-scoring midfielder during that period, he left under unclear circumstances.

Nkata, on the other hand, was signed into the Kenyan Premier League by his father Paul Nkata. The elder Nkata left Kenya in 2019 after being dismissed by Kakamega Homeboyz amid allegations that led to a police investigation into a suspected match-fixing syndicate.

In its June 1, 2026, ruling, FUFA announced sweeping sanctions against five individuals following what it described as a meticulous investigation into compromised Uganda Premier League fixtures, with Ali and Nkata at the centre of the scandal.

The other individuals sanctioned alongside Ali, all linked to Buhimba United Saints FC, received multi-year bans for their roles in the manipulation of matches:

• Fred Nkata (Player) – 5-year ban
• Moses Ayebale (Player) – 5-year ban
• James Kalumba (Technical Director) – 5-year ban
• Ramadhan Dudu (Player) – 2-year ban
• Moses Feni Ali (Former Player) – Lifetime ban