About 63 districts have taken part at the district level in the inaugural FUFA Primary Schools football championship codenamed ‘Odilo’.
The championship is for Primary schools around the country played in the Eight (8) FUFA Football regions- Kampala, Buganda, Kitara, Western, North East, West Nile, Eastern and Northern.
All regions have concluded their championships at various district levels. The eight (8) Regional winners will now tussle it out for National championship to be held at the FUFA Technical Centre Njeru.
Sixty (60) District teams were declared winners and went on to battle for top honours at the regional level. The Regional winners will feature in the National championship at FUFA Technical centre, Njeru at a date yet to be named.
The turn-up of school teams impressed the organisers of the championship. The FUFA Football Development Director Ali Mwebe is glad that the maiden edition finally got underway and is looking forward to the next stage.
All 8 Regional Champions declared, National Finals to be held in Njeru
Oasis Annext Primary School of Arua emerged winners of the West Nile region after edging Govule Primary School from Yumbe 1-0 in the final.
The Buganda regional title was won by Rays of Grace Junior School from Buikwe-Kirugu who defeated Kako Primary School (Masaka) 3-0 in the final.
Citizen Parents Primary School lifted the Kampala Regional cup title by edging Old Kampala Primary School 4-2 on penalties after a 2 all draw.
Tooro from Kabarole also needed penalties to see off Little Treasure of Kiryandongo. The two schools played to a 1-1 draw in the final before Tooro won 4-1 on penalties to lift the Kitara Regional trophy.
The Eastern region title was won by Busumbu Primary School from Manafwa after beating Main Street Primary School (Jinja). Busumbu won 4-2 on penalties after the two teams tied 1-1 in normal time.
Bright Valley Primary School beat Otimo Waa Primary School 5-4 on penalties to take the Northern region cup. Normal time ended goalless.
The North East Regional title was lifted by God’s Grace Primary School from Serere.
Western region winners are Green Valley Primary School who took home the championship after collecting points from the two games played at the Regional Level. In one o the matches Green Valley defeted Kirima Primary School of Kanungu 2-0.
FUFA Football Development Director Ali MWebe on the Odilo Championship
Odilo Championship comes in the right period for implementation of FUFA’s strategic plan at the grassroots and youth football development. Our goal set in 2017 was to increase the number of young players in the game of football.
FUFA has undertaken a number of initiatives and programmes to develop the game at the grassroots and youth football circles working with the Government and Uganda Secondary School Sports Association (USSSA) for boys and girls. The Uganda Youth Football Association (UYFA), partners like Airtel have contributed to youth football. Such programmes have seen over 15,000 boys and close to 7,000 girls kick the ball every football season.
The player development pathway resembles a pyramid shape with a wider base and narrow top. With age-based progression at various levels, the successful ones make it to the top like playing in the 1st division, senior National team or trade their careers in foreign countries.
Therefore Odilo expands our base touching primary schools level (U14) and every corner of the FUFA Regions.
Counting on the efforts of all stakeholders for the flow of the first edition, other follow-up support development activities like coaching development, Talent Identification, equipment and facilities shall be strengthened in the near future.
Such projects are highly recommended by FIFA under its new plan-Football for Schools Project supported by the FIFA Forward Programme to grow football for boys and girls within Member Associations.
The Odilo National Finals will be held at the FUFA Technical Centre, Njeru at a date yet to be confirmed by the FUFA Competitions Department.
Why the name Odilo
FUFA launched a new tournament called ‘Odilo’ on Wednesday 8th May 2019 morning at FUFA House designed for grassroots football to be played by Primary Schools in Uganda.
However how much do you know about the choice of word ‘Odilo’ for FUFA’s newest baby on the 13 strong Competitions list organsied by FUFA.
The FUFA Finance Director Decolas Kiiza patiently told the story during the press conference.
Once upon a time there lived two brothers, Gipir and Labongo who moved South from the land called Bahel-Gazel and settled in present-day West Nile with their families and children.
Due to inter-family jostles and glitches involving the loss and recovery of the Royal Spear from the wilderness by Gipir and the extraction of a bead from Labongo’s daughter’s ripped stomach, the two brothers decided to part ways.
Consequently, on one morning at a place called Wang-Lei in present-day Pakwach they buried an axe and parted ways.
Gipir and his family took the area west of the Nile and became the Alur Community while Labongo moved eastwards settling off through Acholi, Lango, Bunyoro, Bukedi up to areas of Western Kenya as Luo Community.
Amongst the Alur was born a boy called ODILO in the remote village of Pavungu.
While a teenager Odilo ventured his way to Kampala where he found a group of boys kicking around object which excited him very much
He manoeuvred and sneaked away with the round object up to Pavungu imagine in two days!
The youths and men of Pavungu were so agitated and started playing using the round object on the guidelines of Odilo and easily named it Odilo which would later turn out to be the BALL and the game, Football.
Odilo spread out to the Greater Northern Uganda that hosts two FUFA Regional Football Associations of West Nile and Northern like wildfire.
In recognition of the Alur, the people of Pavungu, the Greater Northern Uganda and Odilo himself, the FUFA Executive Committee decided that the newly introduced FUFA Primary Schools Championship to be played across Uganda hereby named “ODILO”.
