Welcome!
Season’s best tell their tales
ANDREW MWANGUHYA – OUR FANTASY EXPERT
So the best luxurious game in the region comes to a close with one lucky manager Shs1m ($490) richer.
And what an adrenalin-filled Monitor Fantasy Football League season it’s been! For a game introduced by Monitor Publications just seven months ago, it can only get better.
After the final round of the English Premier League games last week, MFFL had 1766 managers playing. With the excitement mounting, a managerial avalanche looms large next season.
MFFL is a game played on your phone where you manage your own fantasy team selected from your favourite players in the Barclays Premier League. You accumulate points according to real life performances of those players. The season’s best wins Shs1m and weekly winners Shs0.1m.
Second is best
Ibrahim Mutebi, Oliviaa FC manager, led the Leader Board for the best part of the season and held off stiff competition from The Bavarianz boss Moses Matovu for the top prize. The former went into the final round of games ahead of the later with 52 points.
Ibrahim Mutebi
“I knew I had chance but the margin was quite big,” says 23-year-old Matovu, whose side ended with 2572 points, 79 adrift of Mutebi on 2651.
“I was of course gutted not winning the season’s money but overall, I enjoyed the game and second is not bad. In fact, I was watching the Europa Cup final and thought to my self, ‘what am I going to do now that fantasy season is over?’ I’m already missing it,” shares the season’s five-time winner.
The beautiful game was, however, dominated by male weekly victors, only one lady, Namiyonga, winning twice.
Fantasy-tic couple
But the clincher was in the Mutebi FC and Oliviaa FC team names. Mutebi FC boss Namiyonga, who finished the campaign a distant third on 2332, is girlfriend to Oliviaa FC manager, Mutebi. Confusing?
“He (Mutebi) named his team after me and I also named mine after him,” explains a satisfied Namiyonga.
“I wasn’t much into it but after realizing my boyfriend was winning, I asked him and he helped me set mine.”
Mutebi, who was reportedly abroad, had not replied to our email by press time.
Twenty-four-year-old Namiyonga, a civil engineer graduate from Makerere University, is already looking ahead of next season but first takes us into her trick box.
“The defence, midfielders and captain are the trick. If you get that right, you have a chance.”
There you have it for next season, guys.
Drog ends MFFL season in style
Andrew Mwanguhya
Kampala
Carlos Tevez may have beaten him to the Monitor Fantasy Football League’s top strikers’ chart but Didier Drogba stood tallest at the season finale.
Three's a charm
The Chelsea hitman grabbed a hat-trick and 21 MFFL points as the new Premiership champions annihilated sorry Wigan 8-0 to win their first league title since 2006.
Stoke’s Matt Etherington’s exploits midweek against Fulham earned him 20 while Chelsea ’s Frank Lampard’s goal and assists ensured he stacked 15. Robin Van Persie was also on target for Arsenal as they dispatched Fulham 4-0 to pick 14 points.
Drogba alongside Luka Modric, Van Persie – who all netted at the weekend – plus Luis Nani and Wayne Rooney who made some assists, were MFFL tips in the game’s weekly column in Saturday Monitor, Score Magazine.
Man City ’s Tevez managed to end the season atop striker’s charts with 178 points, one ahead of Drogba and 10 adrift of Rooney.
Thabo, Silverflash manager, topped last week with 143 points. He/she, together with Mutebi FC’s Olivia Namiyonga and Timothy Victoria of Tiveez will pick their cash later this week.
Top Players
D Drogba (21 pts)
M Etherington (20 pts)
F Lampard (15 pts)
R Van Persie (14 pts)
Fantasy finale!!!
ANDREW MWANGUHYA – OUR FANTASY EXPERT
The final round games in the Premier League is upon us this weekend and it must be time to throw caution to the wind for any ambitious Monitor Fantasy Football League manager.
Ten games are lined up and will all be played at 6pm to avoid any sort of criminal action.
Managers Ibrahim Mutebi, Moses Matovu, Olivia Namiyonga, and Timothy Victoria head the Leader Board with 2511, 2459, 2192 and 2122 points respectively.
Season’s best battle
But the real battle for Manager of the Season, who will take home Shs1m, is between Oliviaa FC and The Bavarianz coaches Mutebi and Matovu.
They have won between themselves 13 times, that’s Shs1.3m, and only 52 points separate the two. Mutebi FC boss Namiyonga, the only lady to have won the weekly Shs0.1m, needs at least 400 points and has to hope Oliviaa and The Bavarianz managers have a disastrous weekend to stand ant chance.
Nonetheless, the rest of the managers will still have reason to make tactical changes to end the season on a high.
And there’s no reason to despair because next season will be even funnier. Everyone will start on equal footing and all those that have been promising to top the Leader Board from the first week of the season will have their chance.
Recommendations
For now though, it falls on MFFL to recommend at least five players who could shine this weekend.
Bring in
Van Persie ($6.5m)
Didier Drogba ($8m)
Wayne Rooney ($8.5m)
Luis Nani ($4m)
Luka Modric ($5.5m)
Fulham have had a fulfilled season, reaching the Europa final and are still capable of upsetting Arsenal.
But the Gunners have to win this game lest Tottenham dislodge them from the third place. This being Arsenal’s last game in front of their home fans, they will love giving their 12th man a perfect season end. And there’s no one better than Van Persie to ensure that.
Drogba and Chelsea will play with their lives against Wigan. He scored against Liverpool last weekend and his services will be needed if they are to fend off United’s advances.
Rooney on the other hand will be ensuring United do their home work and pray Chelsea stumble. Stoke are a good side but at Old Trafford, and what this game means to United, they may not halt Rooney. In-form Nani will be the man feeding the Englishman. The Portuguese has been sensational lately and will relish finishing the season in similar fashion.
Spurs may be relishing in Champions League football glory but will still marginally hope for one over their rivals Arsenal by beating Burnley and hoping the Gunners lose to Fulham. Modric is likely to be the man to steer the charge against Burnley.
Leave alone
Maxi Rodriguez (Groin)
Andy Reid (Hamstring)
Scott Dann (Calf)
Rodriguez, Dann and Reid all miss out through injuries.
Timothy revels in Fantasy Football cash
Andrew Mwanguhya
Kampala
Victoria Timothy for the second time won the Monitor Fantasy Football League weekly prize for the top manager after collecting 75 points last week.
The Tiveez manager, together with Mutebi FC boss Olivia Namiyonga who clinched the week ending April 25 honours, won Shs0.2m – Shs0.1m – each.
Didier Drogba, scorer in Chelsea ’s 2-0 over Liverpool and Luis Nani, net-buster in Man Utd’s 1-0 win over Sunderland made part of Timothy’s star team.
Brown top
Michael Brown and his Portsmouth side might be relegated but that didn’t stop them from seeing off Wolves.
Brown scored one and set the other to pick 13 points. Tottenham’s Assou-ekotto garnered 10 while Frank Lampard, Tom Huddleston and Luis Nani got nine each.
Top Players
- M Brown (13 pts)
- B Assou-ekotto (10 pts)
- F Lampard (9 pts)
- T Huddleston (9 pts)
- Nani (9 pts)
Equal footing
ANDREW MWANGUHYA – OUR FANTASY EXPERT
Saturday
Birmingham v Burnley 2.45pm
Tottenham Hotspur v Bolton 5pm
Stoke v Everton
Portsmouth v Wolverhampton
Manchester v Aston Villa
Sunday
Liverpool v Chelsea 3.30pm
Fulham v West Ham 5pm
Sunderland v Manchester United 6m
On a weekend of Premier League action encompassing just eight games, it is more important than usual for Monitor Fantasy Football League managers to keep their eye on the ball.
We have reached that stage of the season when every match is outright crucial as Man United and Chelsea jostle for the championship, Liverpool, Man City , Tottenham and Aston Villa scuffle for Champions League football.
Biggest chance
That aside, this weekend provides the biggest chance lately for anyone to win week’s Shs0.1m prize money for the best manager.
The past weeks have had several midweek games which have disadvantaged many who have either been busy, forgetful, or even broke to make changes. With all games this weekend, we all start on equal footing with no points. It’s anybody’s game.
Devotees of the game should, therefore, utilise this chance and make winning teams. MFFL is here to tell you who is in and who is out plus advising you on possible transfer options.
Many games to choose from and any can earn you some points. But because of the state of affairs in the rest, MFFL will limit itself to only three matches – Birmingham v Burnley, Stoke v Everton and Sunderland v Man Utd.
Bring in: Joe Hart ($2m), Tim Cahill ($4.5m), Luis Nani ($4m) and Liam Ridgewell ($1.5m)
Birmingham do not need reminding of their enviable home record. All the traditional Big Four have dropped points at St Andrews and the already relegated Burnley will for all good reasons dread going there.
In-form keeper Hart should, therefore, be in your goal as a clean sheet will guarantee you seven points. Ridgewell should protect the Man City loanee from Burnley ’s Steve Fletcher. At only $1.5m, he’s such a bargain.
Cahill, together with Mikel Arteta, is the most likely to breach Stoke’s defence when Everton make a trip to Britannia Stadium. He’s aerial presence and heading ability will surely carry the Toffees and you.
United’s Nani is in scintillating form. From the deft back heel against Bayern Munich in the Champions League to last weekend’s cheeky chip in the 3-1 defeat of Spurs, he has netted them in style.
He’s the man United will rely on to break the Sunderland defence, having it in mind that the reverse fixture ended 2-2 at Old Trafford.
Leave alone
Stuart Taylor (knee), Shay Given (shoulder), Gary Neville (calf), Wayne Rooney (groin – doubtful), Vennegoor of the Hesselink (concussion), Obi Mikel (knee) and Thomas Sorensen (Arm/Elbow).
Kalou simply fantastic
Andrew Mwanguhya
Kampala
With two weeks to end the English Premiership and Monitor Fantasy Football League, Salomon Kalou is not too late after all.
The striker struck a hat-trick in Chelsea ’s seven-star demolition of Stoke Sunday to reclaim top spot and runaway with top MFFL honours last week with 22 points.
Stephen Gerrard, scorer of a brace in Liverpool’s 4-0 drubbing of Burnley and architect of last Monday’s 3-0 win over West Ham earned 20.
Aston Villa’s James Milner’s strikes midweek and at the weekend got him 17 while Tottenham’s Ledley King and Liverpool ’s Maxi Rodriguez picked up 16 apiece.
Two rounds of the Premiership and MFFL left and you can win this week’s managerial gong by selecting the best team from the eight games at the weekend. Visit monitorfantasyfootball.co.ug and Daily Monitor for details.
Top Players
- S Kalou (22 pts)
- S Gerrard (20 pts)
- J Milner (17 pts)
- L King (16 pts)
- M Rodriguez (16 pts)
- B Friedel (14 pts)
- J Reina (14 pts)
- J Collins (14 pts)
- F Lampard (14 pts)
- D Agger (14 pts
Crucial moments
ANDREW MWANGUHYA – OUR FANTASY EXPERT
Saturday
Man Utd v Tottenham 2.45pm
Bolton v Portsmouth 5pm
Hull v Sunderland
West Ham v Wigan
Wolves v Blackburn
Arsenal v Man City 7.30pm
Sunday
Aston Villa v Birmingham 2pm
Burnley v Liverpool 5pm
Everton v Fulham
Chelsea v Stoke 6pm
With the business end of the Monitor Fantasy Football League season upon us, it is more imperative now than ever that you use your managerial brain in the remaining three rounds of games wisely.
Matters are already getting resolved with Portsmouth’s relegation already confirmed and Arsenal’s title hopes officially verified by Wigan’s Charles N’Zogbia last week. Man Utd’s victory at City and Chelsea’s loss at Spurs also served to return to life the Premiership title race.
Hopefully, you’ve managed important points from many of your loyal signings throughout the campaign and have a number of options up your sleeve as you make one final push for title glory.
While the individual player honours went to Everton’s two-goal hero Tim Cahill, yours truly – who also masquerades as a Fantasy Expert – after months of labouring and giving tips to others to beat him finally clinched last week’s managerial gong with 157 points.
You can also become the best manager weekly in the remaining three rounds of games but you will have to be at your shrewdest over the coming two weeks to guarantee a strong finish. Ten games are lined up making it one hell of a busy weekend for MFFL managers.
With Man Utd putting their lives on the title when Tottenham, fresh from dispatching Arsenal and Chelsea, visit Old Trafford in the lunch time kick-off, Man City hell-bent on fourth place finish away to Arsenal, and Chelsea hoping to bounce back at home to Stoke, it can’t get better.
That brings me nicely onto the first one of my weekend recommendations and it should come as no surprise that Wayne Rooney is back in my good books.
Bring in
Rooney ($8.5m), Gabriel Agbonlahor ($5m), Mikel Arteta ($4.5m), Andrei Arshavin ($7m) and Carlos Tevez ($6.5m)
Rooney was MFFL’s most tipped player before that injury in Munich. He’s come back and soldiered through two games with a sprained ankle. But the Englishman, 26 league goals, is fully fit to face Spurs and what is at stake will see Rooney earn you some valuable points.
Aston Villa’s Agbonlahor is likely to add to his midweek strike against Hull when formidable Birmingham travel to Villa Park.
Arteta has been hampered by injuries this season but he’s often come back strongly. He was on the mark together with teammate Tim Cahill, who you should also think about, against Blackburn last week.
Arshavin returns to inspire Arsenal against City, the side they lost to 4-2 in the reverse fixture. Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure and Patrick Vieira come back to the Emirates and are expected to receive the wrath of their former fans. But Tevez is the man likely to cause the Gunners headache. A good bet, the Argentine.
Leave alone
Liverpool’s Emiliano Insua (thigh) and Fernando Torres (knee), Sunderland’s Andy Reid (hamstring), Spurs’ Niko Kranjcar (ankle) and Thomas Vermaelen (calf) are all out.
Sir Andre wins it…finally
Ismail Dhakaba Kigongo
Kampala
‘Finally’ is the word. Following months of labouring, giving tips to eventual winners and he coming out empty handed, Sir Andre Mwanguhya, The Love Dre FC manager, finally came tops the week ending April 18.
The Love Dre, 157 points, shook off Mutebi FC to make Mwanguhya the first Monitor Publications employee to win the free-to-all Monitor Fantasy Football League game.
Mark Ssali and Mark Namanya , Little Anderson and Madiba46664 managers, who are also Monitor Pundits League experts, are the only company employees to have come close to winning, finishing second and third once respectively.
The Love Dre had the entire Chelsea squad including scorer Nicolas Anelka in the 1-0 win over Bolton as well as Tim Cahill, net-buster in the 2-2 draw at Aston Villa. Mwanguhya also signed the entire Birmingham defence that kept a clean sheet at the weekend and all his midfielders, Cahill, Walcott and Lampard were on target.
The self-styled fantasy expert pocketed his Shs0.1m, the weekly prize for the top manager.
Three fantasy football winners pick their cash
Andrew Mwanguhya
Kampala
A trio of tactical geniuses grinned home Monday after their purses were laden with Monitor Fantasy Football League cash.
Eight-time record winner Ibrahim Mutebi, Oliviaa FC manager took a strangle-hold of the week ending April 28, collecting 175 points.
Hazi Mugara of Bigando FC took over the following seven days with 145, shoving off stiff competition from the Monitor Pundits League expert Mark Ssali , manager of Little Anderson, with 131 points.
Moses Matovu of the Bavarianz clinched the week ending April 11 with 82 points, his fifth victory since the game was introduced by Monitor Publications Limited in the region last October.
The three winners picked Shs300,000, Shs0.1meach, from the company headquarters at Namuwongo, Kampala Monday.
Cahill top
Meanwhile, Everton’s Tim Cahill was last week’s MFFL star with 18 points following his scoring displays midweek against Aston Villa and at the weekend in the 3-2 win over Blackburn .
Aston Villa visit Hull City tonight as they continue their quest for fourth place finish.
Week’s Top Players
- T Cahill (18 pts)
- M Taylor (14 pts)
- G Bale (12 pts)
- J Defoe (12 pts)
- N Bendtner (12 pts)
- Yakubu (11 pts)
- T Walcott (11 pts)
- M Brown (11 pts)
- C N’zogbia (11 pts)
- F Lampard (11 pts)
How to Play
UPDATE: NEW KEYWORDS!
- MANAGER: You can now let the world know that you’re the manager of the best fantasy football team! To set your team manager name, send “Manager Your-Name” to 8778. E.g. “Manager Tom John”
- INFO: Are you wondering which players your friend has selected? Now you can get info on your friend’s team! Just send “info team-name” to 8778. E.g. info tomFC
Welcome to the Monitor Fantasy Football League! You manage your own Fantasy team selected from your favorite players in the Barclays Premier League!
- BUDGET: You have $50Million to create your dream team.
- TEAM (4-3-3 or 4-4-2): Your team can have up to 11 players: 1 Goal Keeper, 4 Defenders, 3 Midfielders and 3 Strikers OR 1 Goal Keeper, 4 Defenders, 4 Midfielders and 2 Strikers.
- PLAYERS: Each player is identified by a player code. Click HERE for the PLAYER LIST!
- SCORING: Your team will earn points based on how your players perform in the Barclays Premier League. Click HERE for the SCORING SYSTEM.
- SMS COMMANDS: The Monitor Fantasy Football League is played from your Mobile Phone. Simply send the commands below to 8778 on UTL, MTN, ZAIN and WARID:
SMS Commands
| To | Send | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Get your team profile | Team | team |
| Name your team and adds players to it | Team [name] [player-codes] | Team superfliers 231, 342, 234 ... |
| Add more players to your team | Team [players] | Team 231, 342, 234 ... |
| Change your team name | Team [name] | Team superfliers |
| Set your Manager Name | Manager [name] | Manager Tom Mugerwa |
| Transfer a player | Replace [oldplayer-code] [newplayer-code] | Replace 231 456 |
| Get information about your team captain | Captain | Captain |
| Set/change the team captain | Captain [player-code] | Captain 453 |
| Get profile information on the selected player(s) | Player [codes] | Player 123 |
| Get profiles of players whose names match the selected ones | Player [names] | Player Gerard |
| Get a list of the top ten teams | Leaders | Leaders |
| Get information on another team | Info [team name] | Info superfc |
