I have learnt with great shock the bloodiest event in Egypt’s football history that occurred on Wednesday 1st February 2012 and left over 70 of our football fans dead!
Football, as a social game is partly intended to unite people from all spheres regardless of their tribes, political affiliations, religions or even skin colours among other segregative factors. We therefore, condemn violence and the pitch invasion by fans, confronting each other was regrettable and an incident that should never happen again on our continent.
On my own behalf, my executive committee and the entire football fraternity in Uganda we wish to convey our heartfelt condolences to you, to the federation, the bereaved families, the players, the football fans and all people of Egypt upon this loss of lives.
It’s my prayer that the government security agencies speed up the investigations to establish the real motives behind this deadly mission. We shall continue praying for you for a quick recovery from this bloodily shock.
Yours
Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA)
LAWRENCE MULINDWA
FEDERATION OF UGANDA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATIONS (FUFA)
PRESIDENT
FUFA CEO Edgar Watson communicated the Excom decision to the clubs
FUFA in consideration of Article 16 (1) and 57 of the FUFA Constitution and article 18 (1) of the FIFA statutes, granted the Uganda Super League Ltd (USLL) the authority to run the Super division League (The Uganda National Top League)
FUFA communicated to USLL and Uganda Super League clubs the decision of the FUFA Disciplinary Committee, directed that USLL and the clubs do not make any sporting, administrative or any other contacts with the sanctioned officials.
Furthermore, the FUFA Executive Committee suspended the Uganda Super League (USL) matches on 19th January 2012. (Ref. No FUFA/USL/19/01/12) upon defiance of the sanctioned officials. However some USL clubs have defied the FUFA directive and continued to play in matches officiated by unqualified referees and organized by sanctioned officials.
The FUFA General assembly of 2011 in Fort portal empowered the FUFA Executive to evoke Article 57 (7 i and ii) of the FUFA Constitution if USLL officials and/or clubs continue to violate association football rules.
FUFA is cognizant of the efforts by some clubs to return normalcy at USL but the continued defiance by the sanctioned officials to perform duties of USLL is further violation of association football rules. It is therefore upon the above background that the FUFA Executive withdraws the mandate from USLL to run the Uganda National football top league with immediate effect.
The Jinja Declaration Committee (JDC) is hereby required to convene clubs that are willing to be compliant with association football and compose a corporate body in accordance with the Jinja Declaration. The new body should ensure that the acceptable interests of the sponsors are well protected. The JDC will henceforth guide the progress in this regard with immediate effect.
The withdraw communication signed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Edgar Watson Suubi has been copied to the FIFA General Secretary, the CAF General Secretary, FIFA Development officer in charge of this zone, the Vice President of the Republic of Uganda, the Minister of education and sports and the state minister for sports. Others include the General Secretary of National Council of sports, all FUFA member associations and the chairman Jinja Declaration Committee. (Rogers Mulindwa-Head of Communications-FUFA)
FUFA will conduct the next FIFA player Agents’ examinations on 29 March at FUFA headquarters in Mengo starting 10:00am prompt.
The federation has therefore released the detailed program pertained to this exercise. All interested persons should submit their written applications to the office of the CEO between 1-29, February 2012. The list of applicants found legible to sit for these examinations will be out on March 5. The deadline for the payment of the examination fees of Shs.200.000 (non refundable) is set for March 17.
We are looking forward to increasing the number of FIFA players’ agents in the country. Uganda currently has only four recognized and acceptable agents namely Kyobe Livingstone, Tushar Ruparelia, Nasser Mulindwa and Awor Tonny. The world football governing body, FIFA will set and send 15 questions that relate to international regulations while FUFA sets five to make it 20. Ugandan questions will be done in English.
Successful candidates will later be forwarded to the FUFA Licensing Board (FLB) for assessment of other requirements. Among these will include an insurance cover and the signing of the declaration form expressing willingness to abide by the rules and regulations of association football.
A member of the federation who may be an executive committee member, a delegate, a coach, or a team official among others is prohibited from taking part.
Mourners display the photograph of the late David Ssebunya at his burial on Tuesday
His elderly mother fainted and immediately rushed to the nearby clinic! Workmates from City House, football fans and friends stood helplessly as the casket of a Grade I FUFA Referee, David Ssebunya got lowered into the grave at Nabusugwe, 12Km left of Kireka town.
To some elders in the area, they had lost a soft spoken kind and loving grandson. “He was last week here to attend a graduation party and he shook hands with most of us…I think he was bidding farewell!” one elder commented. The life calendar of this 30 year old referee so got closed painfully this bright hot Tuesday afternoon. In his message to the mourners, FUFA President Lawrence Mulindwa said the federation had lost one of its naturally talented referee and a sports lover.
“Refereeing is a voluntary service but Ssebunya liked his work so much that he honoured all his appointments by the referees standing committee” read part of the president’s message to the bereaved family.
The deceased joined the referees’ family in 1997 and had since got promoted from Grade III to II and finally to Grade I. Retired FIFA referee Mohamad Ssegonga said sebunya would automatically have made it to the FIFA level within a short time from now. “It was a matter of time but David was automatically a world class material in the near future” Segonga told the mourners in Nabusugwe.
The federation contributed Shs.1m (One Million shillings) towards burial arrangements. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
Uganda Super League clubs continue to make big shake ups in their representations to USL in a move to clean up the mess that had caused havoc in the management of the country’s top league.
FUFA is in possession of an official communication from the management of Simba SC indicating an immediate dismissal of Lt. Tom Lwanga who has been their representative to the USL Board. The letter is signed by the Club Chairman Brigadier Hussein Ada. “I have decided to replace Lt. Tom
FUFA CEO Edgar Watson (left) and banned USL CEO Ebil Ssegawa. Edgar has proved more professional in execution his duties and the clubs are now moving into the right direction with Ssegawa on ban
Lwanga with Mr. Isaac Jurugo as our new representative to USL” reads part of the brigadier’s letter copied to the Federation.
In a separate conversation with senior army officers, the army side was not impressed with the management of the league and blamed their representative for taking binding decisions that were not endorsed by the top club management.
From the Police side, the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Asan Kasingye has also written to the federation relieving Mr. Livingstone Rajan of the duty to represent Police FC to the USL Board. Like Lwanga, Rajan has also been a close ally to Mr. Kavuma Kabenge the banned Board chairman and was key in promoting a negative campaign among the USL clubs to boycott FUFA activities, a position the rightful club owners resist.
AIGP Kasingye has now replaced civilian Rajan with a senior police officer, Commissioner of Police (CP) Bashir Mugisha who is also the club Manager. Mugisha is currently the Traffic officer in charge of Kampala Metropolitan. A week ago, Water FC fired one Julius Oyet from being their club representative on grounds of assuming non authorized powers and taking decisions not known to the rightful club owners. (Rogers Mulindwa, Head of Communications-FUFA)
The Federation of Uganda Football Associations regrets to announce the death of one of our referees, Ssebunya David who passed on this Monday morning from Mulago hospital. He has been in service since 1997.
Ssebunya 29, was part of the referees who underwent the fitness test on Friday at Mandela National Stadium-Namboole. Official records at Mengo indicate that the deceased completed all the six sprints that cover 240 meters in total. His best sprint was recorded at 5 seconds and 92 micro seconds. The results for all the six sprints were 5.92, 5.96, 6.07, 6.06, 6.11 and 6.13.
He later embarked on the twelve laps in an exercise that was supervised by retired FIFA referee Mohammed Ssegonga. He looked very fit and determined to complete the dozen laps but unfortunately, with just one lap to an end, he leaped off the lane! He was shortly taken to the nearby clinic but later discharged. He reportedly returned home and there were signs of quick recovery.
His death took us by surprise this morning because we had reports that he was getting better. According to family sources, Ssebunya’s condition worsened Sunday night and was rushed to Mulago hospital from where he took his last breathe. By press time, the federation had not received details of his death. The body was still lying in the mortuary as we waited waited for a postmortem report.
As FUFa, we have lost a committed young referee and we send our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, friends and the entire sports family. The Federation will join the family for a descent send off. Burial details will be communicated later but scanty information indicates that he will be laid to rest this Tuesday, 2:00pm at Nabusugwe in Namugongo. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
World Football Governing body, FIFA coaching instructor Roman Hangarter has hailed Ugandan women for an impressive knowledge they have about the game of football.
Hangarter made the remarks at the closing ceremony of the seven day coaching course for women at Mandela National Stadium- Namboole on Saturday, January 28. “It has been a good class. They had very impressive knowledge about football…it’s a rare quality among some women elsewhere” said the FIFA Instructor from Switzerland.
FUFA Vice president in charge of women football, Chris Kalibbala urged participants to put more emphasis on young girls for training. He also commended FUFA for identifying the women sector for this coaching course. A total of 28 women coaches attended this course. Hangarter returns home this Sunday evening
The Crested Cranes head coach Majidah Nantanda believes that her inexperienced side can still do better in the next Africa women qualifiers campaign after losing 4-0 to the Democratic Republic of Congo in Kinshasa on Saturday.
The two nations were playing their return leg after drawing 1-1 in Kampala on January 14. “The Congo team we played in Kinsasha was quite different from the side we had in Kampala. They added new faces of widely experienced players” said Nantanda shortly after the game.
The female tactician further revealed, “My players too, lacked concentration from the word go and they actually feared the match”. The former International player was however quick to add, “They are still young players and we shall continue working on them as we prepare for the next campaign”
Team coordinator, Marium Kaliga said the young girls give Uganda a bigger hope in the future and urged the local fans to keep supporting them. The Ugandan Ambassador to Congo, Rt. Major James Kinobe met the players after the match and encouraged them to remain focused. “You have played an experienced side but you too, can acquire that experience to trounce then next time” said the Ambassador who gave the team all the support while in Congo.
Crested Cranes set for Congo clash: The Crested Cranes team takes on hosts DR Congo in Kinshasa City this Saturday in a return leg after a 1-1 draw in Kampala about two weeks ago. The team that arrived in Congo on Thursday morning is accommodated at Afromozia Hotel in Kinshasa. Coach Majda Nantanda says her players are set to upset the Congolese from a home ground.
Referees off to Ethiopia: Four Ugandan female referees will later in the day this Friday leave for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where they will officiate a return leg match between the hosts and Egypt in the ongoing qualifiers of the 8th Africa Women Championship . The visitors won the first leg 4-2 on January 14 in Cairo. The travelling referees include Ssemambo Nabikko, Dianah Mukasa, Nakitto Marex and Namubiru Irene. The match will be played this Saturday.
FUFA President for Kayunga: The Federation President Lawrence Mulindwa is expected in Kayunga district this Saturday morning where he will meet all the football delegates from Buganda Region. The president will be in company of his Vice President in Charge of USL, Mujib Kasule. According to the Regional Chairperson Joseph Mwanje, the meeting will be held at Katikoomu Hotel starting 10:00am prompt. Vice president in charge administration Eng Moses Magogo visits western, Stone Kyambadde will be in Eastern while Patrick Ogwel travels to the north. All these are routine administrative visits
USL Clubs to meet again this Saturday: USL clubs will this Saturday, January 28 converge again at Sheraton Hotel for a final position on the prevailing situation of the National league. Each of the sixteen clubs is expected to send authorized representatives with letters from their respective clubs. The meeting that starts at 9:00am will have one of the club officials chairing the session as plans get under way to elect new office bearers.
Tamale, Kato officially quit Victors: Victors FC club Chairman Kato Lawrence Sserunjogi and the club Secretary Haruna Tamale have officially resigned their positions citing internal wrangles and defiance of association football rules. Kato accuses the club board of passing binding resolutions without his consent. On his side Tamale insists that the club’s decision to honour non acceptable January 20 match against Proline FC was a sign of defiance to the national football body. Victors is owned by Col. Bell Tushabe.
Fitness tests on: FUFA will this Saturday morning conduct the referee’s fitness tests at Namboole stadium starting 7:00am. The exercise attracts 13 referees who either missed or failed the November exercise. Notable on the list is Fred Mufta and Brian Nsubuga, the two FIFA referees.
Women coaching course to close: The women coaching course going on at Mandela Hotel in Namboole closes this Saturday at 11:00am. FIFA Instructor Roman Hangarter has been in the country since last weekend.
(Compiled by Rogers Mulindwa, Head of Communications-FUFA)
Uganda Football Referees Association (UFRA) has de-registered and dismissed ten errant referees who defied the federation advice and proceeded to officiate non acceptable League matches.
UFRA Chairman who also doubles as a CAF Technical Instructor, Ali Waiswa told a weekly press conference here at FUFA house in Mengo this Wednesday morning that the decision takes immediate effect. On January 19th FUFA suspended the Uganda Super League to enable the clubs enforce the Disciplinary Committee ban on the USL Chairman Kavuma Kabenge and the CEO Ebil Ssegawa among other issues.
The Referees’ standing committee withdrew all the officials who had earlier been appointed but USL went ahead to hand pick others to handle the fixtures. Some of the culprits retired from active refereeing but remained members of UFRA. “We no longer recognize them and whoever deals with them with effect from today deals with football fans and not our members”, said Waiswa. The fired members include Mulima Sulaiman, Temaligwe Abubakar, Nsubuga Jackson, Katunze Jon Bosco, Kalule Kasujja, Nsereko Charles, Kabuye Asuman, Dhakaba Menya, Elayu Daniel and Khalid Musana who featured under disguised names of Nsubuga Ibrahim.
Article 12(1) of the FIFA Referees’ Regulations on the organization of Refereeing in FIFA Member Associations reads: ‘The appointment of Referees is a fundamental part of Referee development and must be undertaken by the Referees committee in conjunction with the refereeing department. No club, league or other body of the member Association may interfere in the referee appointment process ’. Waisswa further disclosed that most of the members were second time offenders.
Water FC, a Uganda Super League club has disowned a self styled Club Director, Julius Oyet who was impersonating as an official representative of their club to the USL Board.
Oyet had attended most of the USL Board meetings chaired by banned USL Chairman Kavuma Kabenge and took decisions that the club disowns. He was also part of the meeting at Sheraton Hotel earlier this month that denounced the position of the FUFA Disciplinary Committee against the errant USL officials. The same meeting resolved to boycott all FUFA organized/sanctioned matches including the Bell-Uganda Cup.
In a strongly worded letter to FUFA, Engineer Alex Gisagara the Managing Director of the National Water and Sewage Corporation (NWSC) the owners of Water FC, denied having fronted Oyet as USL Director representing their club. Gisagara is also the designated club chairperson. “He is not the fronted USL Director representing Water FC and we would like to request that the management of FUFA and USL disregard any representations and statements from him” reads part of the letter from the Managing Director.
Masaka LCV chairman and Masaka LC FC chairperson, Joseph Kalungi (with mic) speaking during the meeting
Oyet had earlier been quoted in both The Monitor and Bukedde News papers alleging that Water FC was purely behind Kabenge and that his team would not take part in the Bell sponsored Uganda cup. The NWSC Managing Director further writes, “This is in response to the statements in the Bukedde Newspaper of January 18th in which one Julius Oyet was quoted speaking on behalf of Water FC and The Monitor of January 9th in which the same Oyet was quoted as a USL Director from Water FC”
The Company Managing Director adds, “This is to categorically inform you that he [Oyet] is not authorized to speak on behalf of Water FC”. Eng. Gisagara promised that his club would in a week’s time forward the name of the authorized Director. To show further compliance, Water FC was one of the eleven USL clubs that attended the FUFA meeting at Royal Imperial Hotel on Monday afternoon. Three of their highly positioned officials attended in person and maintained their documented position.
Other clubs that attended the meeting included URA FC, Bunamwaya, Proline, Bidco, Maroons, Simba, Hoima-Busia, Utoda, Victors and Masaka LC whose chairman who also doubles as Masaka District Local Council V Chairperson Joseph Kalungi attended.
Thirty two female participants are currently undergoing a one week training coaching course at Mandela National stadium- Namboole.
The course jointly funded by the International Football body (FIFA) and the National body FUFA, will last for one week. FIFA has sent Mr. Roman Hangarter from Switzerland as the chief Instructor. Participants have been drawn from institutions of learning, academies and football clubs among other sectors across the country.
While presiding over the opening ceremony, the Federation Chief Executive Officer Edgar Watson Suubi challenged the participants to put in practice the knowledge and skills they will have acquired from this training. “Engage in grass root football programs and help us identify talents from your respective areas”, the CEO told the visibly excited participants.
Some participants in a training session today morning
He commended FIFA for selecting Uganda among the beneficiaries of this program. Edgar further revealed that the Ugandan FA constitution as amended in August 2010 provides slots for regional women delegates in the General Assembly. “In the process of further developing women football, our next assembly will have women delegates representing regions”, he said. The Federation Technical Director Asuman Lubowa is in Namboole to coordinate the training.
The instructor, Roman Hangarter said the training will add more value to the participants and hence improve the game quality. The training closes on Saturday.
The National women football team the Crested Cranes have this Friday morning left for Njeru Technical Centre for a residential training a head of their return leg against Congo in Brazzaville on January 28.
They become the first team to camp at this multi million FIFA funded project set to be commissioned in February this year. The team is expected to leave for Congo on Wednesday January 25. Head coach Majidah Nantanda said she would take her players through intensive training especially in the areas of shooting at the goal and making timely passes.
The team will play without Ms. Lisa Berga, an American technical consultant who returned to the United States shortly after the first leg. Uganda drew 1-1 in Nakivubo and they are now looking for a win or any draw above a 1-1 score. The selected 25 players are as named under their below:
Goal keepers: Fatuma Matovu, Annet Nanyonga, Aya Harriet
FUFA President Lawrence Mulindwa ( c ), vice president Patrick Ogwel and CEO Edgar Watson in the meeting Thursday evening
The FUFA Executive meeting sitting at the Federation headquarters in Mengo this Thursday afternoon has suspended the Uganda Super League with effect from this Thursday January 19, 2012. The Federation has also given an ultimatum of ten days to enable the clubs show compliance to:
Enforcing the ban of Mr. Kavuma Kabenge and Ssegawa Ebil by the Disciplinary Committee
Re-constitute the USL Management Board to comprise 16 Directors
Re-align statutes in accordance to association football rules
Reinstate Hoima-Busia FC in the Uganda Super League.
If the clubs do not comply by January 30, 2012 the Federation will have no option but withdraw the authority to run the Uganda Super League as provided for in the FUFA constitution.
In the meantime, the Federation has fixed Monday January 23, 2012 to meet all the sponsors of the Uganda Super League and the Uganda Super League Club owners in a joint meeting at Imperial Royale Hotel at1300hrs. (Rogers Mulindwa, Head of Communications,FUFA)
Ugandan FA President, Lawrence Mulindwa has pushed Uganda to the best position ever on the continent
Uganda has climbed 7 places upwards in the January FIFA Coca cola gradings to rank 82nd in the entire world of 208 member countries.
Uganda with 411 points also emerges the best ranked country among all the ten member associations that constitute the Council of East and Central Africa (Cecafa). The previous rankings had put Uganda at 89th position. Rwanda is ranked second best in the region with 304 points, indicating a difference of 97 points between the two footballing nations.
The Uganda Cranes beat Rwanda in the finals to lift the Cecafa-Tusker challenge Cup in Dar es Salaam on December 10 last year. The rankings further put Uganda in the 18th position in Africa with Cote d’Ivoire (889) topping the continental list followed by Ghana (779), Algeria (734), Egypt (698), Senegal (625) and Nigeria with 612 points. Cameroon and South Africa tie in the 56th position in the world rankings with 551 points and are 7th in Africa.
Uganda (82nd) beats Angola (85th) by 6 points and better than Gabon (91st), the hosts of the Africa Cup of Nations finals. Uganda and Angola will again have to face each other in the World Cup qualifiers. Sudan, the only nation within the Cecafa region taking part in the CAN finals is third best in the region with 265 points. This is 146 points behind Uganda.
Kenya is in the 121st position with only 260 points; Ethiopia has 230 points in the 133rd place while Tanzania follows in the 137th place with 225 points. Others are Burundi (199 points), Eritrea (45), Somalia (43) and Djibouti which maintains the 198th position in the world with only 23 points.
The FUFA Disciplinary Committee, over a number of counts, has banned Mr. Kavuma Kabenge for 11 years from taking part in any football-related activities (administrative, sporting or any other)
The counts include;
Failure to comply with association football rules (1 year)
Failure to comply with the directive of the disciplinary committee (1 year)
Putting the Game of football into disrepute (2 years)
Forgery and falsification of a number of documents, including USL articles association that FUFA understands as the FUFA Member Statutes (7 years)
The Disciplinary Committee has also banned Mr. Jimmy Seggawa Ebil for 1 year from taking part in any football-related activities (administrative, sporting or any other) on the count of failure to comply with the directive of the disciplinary committee
After receiving the sermons to the Disciplinary Committee, both Mr. Kabenge and Mr. Ebil responded in writing that the FUFA Disciplinary Committee has no jurisdiction to sermon them by the fact that they are not members of FUFA. The FUFA DC instead cited Article 3 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 4 of the FUFA Disciplinary Code that includes officials as persons subject to the disciplinary codes to proceed with the deliberations
The sanctions imply that no legal or natural person within association football may make sporting, administrative or any other contact with the two administrators for their respective periods and any violation of this sanction may lead to sanctions to defaulting person(s)
Mr. Kavuma Kabenge has hitherto been the Chairman of the USLL Board while Mr. Segawa has been the USLL Chief Executive Officer
The two gentlemen are at liberty to exercise their rights of appeal within three (3) days
FUFA Disciplinary Committee is composed of Mr. Geoffrey Ojok Odur (Chairman), Mr. Daudi Balondemu (Vice Chairman), Mr. Asuman Nyonyintono Mulawa (Secretary), Idrissa Kasalirwe and Jacob Lubega as members.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines Sport as an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for leisure, entertainment, recreation etc.
By this definition, any two persons that argue over who is faster may decide to compete and this is a Sport.
It is therefore implicative that no one owns sports but the two people who come together to compete own their own race and may decide to set regulations of their competition. As long as their regulations do not infringe on rights of other people and do not conflict with the laws of the sovereign, no one outside their arrangement may dictate on those regulations.
Genesis of Association Football
Unlike other sports, Football is played between teams. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the football teams that had evolved decided to form and belong to associations. For the wider belonging and globalization, associations federated into federations, and confederations on geographical basis. The associations, confederations and federations required governance structures and controls and desired to regulate the sport. This gave birth to statutes and regulations of these bodies.
What is association football?
Association football is the sport of football played by members of the various football associations, confederations and federations. It is voluntary to belong to association football but once you opt to belong, you can only remain a member by compliance to the statutes and regulations.
Association football is a private business selling goods and services consumed by the public. Although the general public enjoys football, association football is private and that is why it is controlled by private people in the whole world and not governments or United Nations.
For example the corporate league is not part of association football and cannot be controlled by FUFA however when they make sporting contact with teams and competitions under association football, they are required to declare and sign to be bound by the statutes and regulations. FUFA, CAF or FIFA have no mandate to regulate non-association football.
The various football associations in Uganda came together to form FUFA and consequently they are the owners of FUFA. These associations determine the destiny of FUFA in terms of electing the leadership, creating and amending their own statutes, confirming on their finances through appointing independent public auditors. It is not different from say MTN (U) Ltd that is owned by a few people but providing a public good. Therefore having an MTN SIM card does not confer upon you the right to determine leadership at MTN nor to check the finances or to set internal rules. It is the very reason why the FUFA President can only be elected by the owners and not the entire public like some people have asked. The fans are consumers of football products and services who must enjoy a 5-star customer care
Company Law vs. Association football Rules?
FUFA the association could hitherto not sign legally binding contracts, could not own assets, could not borrow money, could not sue or be sued. However, in order to exist in the legal regime of Uganda, FUFA the association, owns a company called FUFA Ltd. This is the trading arm of FUFA that can transact as a legal person.
The Uganda Super League Limited (USLL) as a body has a discretion to belong or not to belong to FUFA. If they wish to be part of association football, they have to abide by the rules that include FUFA, CAF and FIFA Statutes, Regulations, Decisions and Directives or they may decide not to belong to association football and they are not bound by the compliance to the rules. It is as a simple as that. Furthermore, FUFA can only continue being a member of FIFA (again this is optional for FUFA to belong or not to) if it’s constituent Members comply with Association Football Rules
In the recent times, there has been a deliberate confusion presented by a section of people using the company law to circumvent the association football rules. USLL is a company limited and bound by the company law in Uganda but for continued belonging to association football family, they are bound by association football rules for as long as the association football rules do not require USLL to contravene the laws of Uganda.
The English Premier League Model
The English Premier League is the foreign league that most Ugandans follow and considering the fact that may be apart from the dots and crosses, there is everything similar between the Uganda and England/Wales Law thanks to the British colonization of Uganda. Our adoption of English Premier League model in creation of the USL was just perfect.
The Relationship between the English Premier League and the FA is perfect and properly documented. When the premier league plc MEMARTS were referenced, Mr. Kabenge usurped the process and decided to delete articles and clauses that empowered the FA in the setup but since he did it not find and replace using a computer command, the USLL MAMARTS of his own version (there are like 3 of them) still contains clauses that FUFA has demanded that he follows to his dismay.
FIFA Goal Projects (FUFA Technical Centre-Njeru) only come if FUFA is a member of FIFA
In the English Premier League, there are no referees being appointed off the street, there are no club officials in the Premier League Board, there are no relegated teams being retained (this is the very reason FIFA banned Nigeria FA recently), there are no insubordination cases and no war generals of the Premier League. It is a huge commercial and sporting success. We all watch the Premier League and you have heard of cases of Evra and Suarez being handled by the FA Disciplinary setup and not the Premier League making any comment meanwhile USLL is busy exchanging communications with FUFA over a club player who absconded from the National Team
Way Forward
We should put the sport ahead of our personal battles and egos, abandon the art of confusing the public, stop hiring the media to spin facts and hide dirt. It is like a Jumbo jet taking off with a quarter tank of fuel across the Pacific. However beautiful the passengers are and sweet the coffee served is, it will crash midair irrespective of who the pilots are. USLL in the current modus operandi of insubordination to FUFA, CAF and FIFA (Association Football), defining football using company law approach, refusing to embrace the entirity of the English Premier League Model, using USLL as a football politics fighting platform and a PR platform for officials personal tribulations and businesses instead of serving the customer (the ordinary football fan), is headed no where just like one to power infinity (1∞)
About the Author: Magogo is the FUFA president, CAF Executive Committee Member, Head of the Futsal and Beach Soccer Committee – CAF, and a FIFA certified Administration Instructor.
Besides Football, he is a professional Engineer who previously worked with the African Development Bank in Kampala City.
If you thought it is in only countries like Brazil where the national football team is a debate of the floor of Parliament and the babe attention of the President, wait a minute!! Uganda Cranes May not have beaten Kenya to qualify for the AFCON after 32 years but has raised enough dust for the head of state to starting tracking its trajectory
Cranes CECAFA victory was part of Uganda`s achievements in the year 2011 says the President of the republic of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
This Cranes 12th trophy of regional tournament in the finals over Rwanda was second if no first in the presidential mult- page speech crowning the year in his home at Rwakitura.
He also commended the athletics Moses Kipsiro and Annet Negesa for their commendable work to win gold medals in all African games in Maputo Mozambique.
Cranes beat Rwanda in the final to collect their 12th trophy in the since the tournament commenced in the year 1973 after 2 all draw in the in extra time.
Uganda won the trophy on penalties 3-2 sending fans wild in Dar- el- Salaam Tanzania reversing the memories of the black Saturday of 8th October 2011 when Uganda failed to qualify for the Nations cup due in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea this month.
The president commended the team for the great work and promised more support, this comes four months after the president ordered the ministry of sports, finance minister to fund the Uganda FA with 350 million shilling every year as well as the athletics federation.
Uganda Cranes begin their campaign for the 2013 African cup of nations against Congo Brazzaville away in Brazzaville come February 09th for the finals due in South Africa.
By Muwanga Kenneth
About the author: Journalist with the New Vision group and Bukedde TV. He will give guest articles regularly for the www.fufa.co.ug readers
