NEWS EDITOR MEDIA
HUNDREDS of football administrators, lovers and fans in Uganda led by FUFA top leadership today, morning, welcomed back home our heroes, the U17 National football team which put a smile of the face of Ugandans after trouncing Gambia 2:1 in Morocco on Sunday, to book a slot in the World Cup finals which will be played in Qatar, this year.
This will be the first time in Uganda history for our national football team to play in World Cup finals. Thanks to the Government of Uganda, The Parliament of Uganda, FUFA President Hon. Eng. Moses Magogo and his hardworking team at FUFA!
In this story, we will look at Eng. Magogo’s maths, how his approach enabled our boys to make it to World Cup finals. Then in the next article, we will bring Hon. Magogo’s speech at the luncheon organised for our boys.
MAGOGO’S MATHS
Until 2015, when FUFA President Eng. Moses Magogo had been in office for only years, that the National football governing body started a strategy to compete at youth football levels in CECAFA, Africa, and the world.
The FUFA Juniors League U17 was founded in 2015, thanks to schools in Uganda that supported the youth football strategy, Odilo started in 2019, and the FUFA Tv Cup in 2023.
For starters, Mukwala Steven at Edgars Youth Programme in 2015 (now at Simba in Tanzania)was the top scorer of the FUFA Juniors LeagueNational Teams started to engage with U15, U17, playing international competitions. Some players like Lukyamuzi Ashraf, Langol Joseph, Ogema Thomas, Wanyama Simon, Okello Richard, and Owino John Brian were in the U15 Uganda National team Squad in 2023. Schools of football excellence identified for youth football projects lined up by FUFA to give every child a chance to play. Some of the players in ‘The Cubs’ who defeated Gambia in Morocco on Saturday have played Odilo (Langol Joseph and Simon Wanyama scorer against Tanzania).
Before 2013, FUFA didn’t have a permanent employee dedicated to youth football (now we have Mutyaba since 2015 as the Youth football Development Manager and under the Technical Master Plan he is the Elite Football Development Manager). Okello Richard played in the CECAFA U15 tournament at the FUFA Technical centre, Njeru.
Uganda schools take part in the CAF Pan Africa Schools championships under the Mostepe Foundation (of the CAF President). Some of the players like Mukwanga Adrian, Mubiru Trevor, Kyakuwa Ashiraf, and Ogema Thomas have participated in these championships at National, Zonal and Continental level and are part of the current Uganda U17 team.
Youth Player regulations include double licences by FUFA to allow players to feature in both the senior league (Uganda Premier League, Big League) and youth competitions. While on the CAF Executive, Eng. Magogo advocated for the regional underage qualification, and this has given Uganda and CECAFA countries better opportunities.The FUFA Technical Master Plan (TMP) was introduced in 2024 to improve elite player development path from identification to development.TMP by FUFA is being studied by FIFA for worldwide implementation. Kenneth Semakula, Gavin Kizito, Bobosi Byaruhanga, Travis Mutyaba, Rogers Mato, Azizi Kayondo, shaban Mhamamed now with the senior national team-Uganda Cranes from the junior Leagues and national youth teams in continental competitions.
WHY ALL THIS NOW YET SINCE 1985 THESE COMPETITIONS HAVE BEEN IN EXISTENCE
First of all, FUFA set up the Football Development Department in 2018. Clubs resisting initially the start of the FUFA Juniors League but later embraced the FUFA Youth football programmes.
ACHIEVEMENTS
● Trophies won by Uganda at men’s youth football includes:
1. Uganda U17 Qualifies for FIFA Worls Cup U17
2. Uganda U20 finished runners up AFCON U20 in 2021 in Mauritania and had it not bene due to covid, the U20 team would have played at the FIFA World cup but the tournament a cancelled.
3. Uganda U17 Cubs Qualifies for AFCON in 2021 but tournament cancelled due to covid
4. Three (3) time winners CECAFA U17
5. CECAFA U18 Champions
6. CAF/CECAFA U20 Zonal Qualifiers Champions
7. Champions CECAFA U15 in 2015 (Travis Mutyaba was part of this team)
8. Silver Medallist CECAFA U15 FUFA’s youth football initiatives have flourished since the launch of the FUFA Juniors League in 2015 under President Moses Magogo Hassim.
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