Author: Ahmed Marsha

The Confederation of African Football has announced the start of the Contract with Africa phase 3 Financial Assistance Program (CAFAP) which will runs until 2017.

CAF Secretary General, Hicham El Amrani revealed that the amount to be allocated to each National Association eligible for Phase 3 will be USD 125,000 up from the USD 100,000 given during Phase 2. The announcement follows the recent September CAF standing committees and CAF Executive Committee meetings. Each National Association can benefit once from this grant during the 4 year cycle of CAFAP 3

CAFAP’s main objective is to help CAF Member Associations establish long term, innovative, and tangible development projects; targeting the football infrastructures for the benefit of the football players, spectators, and football professionals such as doctors and the members of the media

The beneficiaries of phase 3 are the Member Associations of CAF and to be eligible any national association applying for CAFAP 3 should have one of its teams engaged at least once a year in a continental CAF competition. CAF will financially support projects according to defined Criteria with each project application be evaluated by the administration of CAF and approved by the Executive Committee.

Contract with Africa
The CAF FINANCIAL PROGRAM is guided by “CAF Contract with Africa”, a strategic blueprint development program launched in 2005. Under Contract with Africa, CAF is committed to empower its Member Associations by providing them support through the following three pillars of development namely Grassroots , Human Resources and Infrastructure.

Unknown thugs invaded the home of the FUFA Chief Executive Officer Edgar Watson Suubi on Friday night with an intention to set his house ablaze!

The incident happened around 1:00am in the night when the thugs still at large sprinkled petrol around Edgar’s house and lit it from behind. The situation was however saved by a University student occupying the guest wing who woke up after hearing a ‘bang’ and as he opened the door, the thugs took off.

The fire destroyed a few guest wing property  but it was stopped from spreading to the main house.

Police recovered a jerycan that contained some petrol from the scene early Saturday morning. Edgar however said the motive of the night thugs remains unknown to him. “Police continues with the investigations but we thank God that the situation was detected early enough” commented Edgar.

FUFA President Eng. Moses Magogo has commended FIFA for the series of courses advanced to Uganda saying that these will be instrumental in guiding the country to a number of achievements that may even include qualification for major events like World Cup.

Magogo was speaking at the closure of a one week administration course at Njeru Technical Centre on Friday. “We can qualify for major tournaments like Fifa world cup if we continue empowering our stakeholders with relevant knowledge and information.” said the FA President. A total of 26 participants attended the course, six of whom were females.

Magogo further emphasized that such courses would also help in solving problems of politics within the game of football. “In most instances people who politicize the game are those who don’t know the laws of the game. But with such courses we shall gradually change their attitudes.” Magogo added.

He promised to change the face of football in Uganda by using the available resources. “In my term of office, I want to capacity-build human resource so that we deal with the right people in different areas related to football management and administration” he further pointed out.

FIFA Instructor Kennedy Kebele, 44 from Zimbabwe conducted the Course.

Participants included: Alex Luganda (Legal Committee), Joseph Mutaka (Cranes Media Officer), Axam Senkayi (FSL Board Member), Ssali Paul Mukisa(Coaches Association), Dominic Muloba (Chairperson Fufa Big League), Ojok Geofrey Odur (Chairman Disciplinary Committee), Efrance Nanjego (Chairperson Women Association), Janet Makubuya (Excom Member Eastern region), Sejengo Sulaiman (C/man Buganda Region), David K. Mukidi (C/Man Northern Region) and David Davis Katabira (C/man UFRA).

Others were Nyanzi Rashid (Mutundwe Lion FC), Sumaya Hood (Personnal Assistant to President), Nalunga Sharon (Fufa secretariat),Wasukira Malik (C/man Schools), Magambo Abed Tom (Gen. Sec Eastern Region ) Ariga Rasoul (Fufa Excom Member) Nambi Loida (C/Person Women Buganda) and Mugena Agnes (North Eastern Region representative).

(Story filed by Cranes Media Officer Joseph Mutaka)

1. 1.    Uganda-Rwanda match moved to Saturday

Having been permitted by CAF as per the FIFA regulations governing international matches, FUFA has now scheduled Saturday 16th November 2013, 1600 hours as the Official date and time for the friendly match between the Uganda Cranes and the Amavubi of Rwanda.

The match venue remains Mandela National Stadium Namboole. The official gate charges are UGX 10,000/= and 20,000/= for ordinary and VIP seats respectively. Tickets will go on market on Saturday 9th November 2013.

FUFA is maintaining its usual ticket selling points in town and also considering Airtel Outlets in Kampala. The full list will soon be released. The visiting Amavubi team, to be hosted at MT. Zion Hotel jets into the country on the eve of the match.

1. 2.    Wandegeya F.C manager is dead

FUFA has learnt of the untimely death of Mr. Kwizera Charles, a brother to former Cranes player Livingstone Mbabazi. Kwizera, a former player of Express F.C, Wandegeya F.C and UMEME F.C died from Mulago Hospital. The deceased will be laid to rest at his home in Kyenjojo district on the date to be communicated by the family later. He has currently been coaching Wandegeya FC.

1. 3.    Ref Kalyango, Kalema pass tests

Referees Kalyango Ali, Kalema Ronnie, Kizito Rehema, Senkumba William and Andema William went through a fitness test organized by FRSC in Namboole and passed and are now legible to officiate matches. Kalyango and Kalema had earlier failed to impress the instructors due to poor fitness levels reportedly caused by injuries. On the same note, the Buganda region football association conducted a fitness test for its referees at Makerere University Play Ground.  Meanwhile Referee Aisha Nabikko Ssemambo finally travelled to Cairo to join Denis Batte and Mark sonko who are currently undergoing a CAF Elite ‘B’ Course.

1. 4.    FIFA Administration course closes today

The high caliber administration course which started on Monday November 2^nd  at Njeru Technical Centre will be officially closed this Friday, 02:00pm by FUFA president Eng. Moses Magogo. The course is instructed by a FIFA instructor, Mr. Ndebele Kennedy and 27 participations are part of the 5day course.

Just two days after the closure of the FIFA Administration course in Njeru Technical Centre this Friday, FUFA will yet again undertake another FIFA granted Football Management and Performance Course, an exercise that will have five high ranking FIFA officials travelling to Kampala to oversee it.

According to the program released by the Chief Executive Officer Edgar Watson this Thursday, the planned activities will include a leadership Retreat for the FUFA Executive Committee Members and a five day Organizational review to assess the federation operations.

A team of five FIFA personnel including Mr. Asford Mamelodi, Faye Damil, Thondoo Gorviden, Patrick Onyango and Susan Anne are expected in the country over the weekend before kick starting the program on Monday morning..

The FUFA Executive Committee Members’ retreat has been planned to take place at Nile Resort Hotel from Sunday 17^th to Monday 18^th November 2013. Besides this, the visiting FIFA panel will be interfacing with different key stakeholders including members of the press, standing committee members, federation employees and the Executive committee members among others.

Meanwhile the administration course that got flagged off by the FUFA first vice President Justus Mugisha will officially close this Friday. In a stretch of mess that a month, Uganda has had three FIFA workshops.

FUFA President Eng. Moses Magogo has in the most sorrowful way described the sudden death of former FUFA Delegate Stanley Kiiza as a ‘big blow to Ugandan football’.

“I have learnt with shock of the death of Mr. Stanley Kiiza. His death at this particular moment is a big blow to all of us, and more especially Ugandan Football” reads part of Magogo’s condolence message to Stanley’s family.

Magogo said the deceased genuinely served football in different positions and that his contributions remain behind as part of the positive history in Ugandan football. Late Kiiza served as an Executive Member of FUFA, Treasurer Western Region, Hoima DFA Chairman, Delegate to FUFA General Assembly and Treasurer of Kitara Region Football Association among many other portfolios.

“On behalf of the Federation of Uganda Football Associations, Member Associations of FUFA, the entire football community and all football loving Ugandans, I wish to convey our heartfelt condolence to the Family,  Friends, Relatives, Kitara Region Football Association and Hoima District football Association over this death”, the FA boss further wrote.

“We pray that you remain strong at this trying moment and that the Almighty God rests his soul in eternal peace” he concluded. The Federation enclosed One hundred Fifty Thousand Shillings (150,000) in Cash towards the burial arrangements. Kiiza was laid to rest in Hoima district over the weekend.