It is a chilly Saturday morning with the effects of the dew and early rising sun rays felt.
Just moments before one of the national junior team’s training sessions, a gentleman believed to be in his mid 20’s is brushing off the wastes from the synthetic turf at Njeru technical center.
On first sight, Innocent Bagenayabo, the Njeru technical turf maintenance officer will straight away reflect the signs of a diligent and committed workman.
Since 2009, Bagenayabo has been executing the daily routine tasks of maintaining Njeru technical turf among other core assignments at the center. He never complains and loves his job. You may need to make the trip to Njeru to prove this for yourself.
I have love to do my work because of the burning passion to make things perfect at the Njeru Center and earn a living as well
Bagenayabo reveals to www.fufa.co.ug.
Hailing from Kisoro, Bagenayabo was one of the lucky employees during the construction of the first FIFA Goal project in Njeru.
Back then, his service at the center was exceptional that the supervisors were proud of the work he executed.
When the project ended, he was appointed as the head in charge of maintaining the turf and the center facilities.
Innocent Bagenayabo at FUFA House recently
‘I was trained the basics of cleaning the turf with the tractor that wheels a cleaning brush, replacing damaged turf portions and to date I have no regrets having taken up the job’ he adds, with a smile
flashing across his face.
Sole Bread Winner
Today, Bagenayabo at just 25 is the sole bread winner for his family of three – his fiancee and two children.
Layan Tugume and Edgar Shimye happily live and enjoy seeing their father going about his routine work that includes sweeping and cleaning the turf as well as maintaining the center facilities- the accommodation and lock rooms.
When the national teams-Uganda Cranes and Cubs trained at Njeru technical center, he never found time to rest.
He made sure the surrounding environment is cleared to avoid any dangerous reptiles from finding their way to the residential rooms.
I try my best to keep this place clean because I want the guests to find it neat
said Bagenayabo.
With the FUFA Extra Ordinary assembly set for this Saturday in Njeru, the man from kisoro will be on alert to keep the place extra clean.
What people say about Innocent Bagenayabo
He works tirelessly and it is difficult to attach a particular to the work he does in Njeru. He is committed to his work
Says FUFA President Eng Moses Magogo.
He is a disciplined worker. He works 24 hours a day. He is a very honest boy
Said FUFA Technical Director Asuman Lubowa who supervises Bagenayabo.
Managing a facility of that size is just unbelievable for a young man of his age. He has first class hospitality and coordination
Says FUFA’s Competition Director Ali Mwebe.
CLEAN ENVIRONMENT: Innocent working on the turf.
Quick Facts:
Family: Born to Fridah Muteshimana (Mother) and Fred Bashaka (Father)
Age: 25 years
Favorite: Posho and meat
Best drink: Water, Eagle Lager
Favorite clubs: KCC FC. He is also staunch Uganda Cranes fan.
Favorite player: Brian Majwega, he is a tricky boy while on the pitch
MAIN PHOTO: Bagenayabo on duty at Njeru technical center
Fake products including football equipment have dominated Ugandan market. Surprisingly football fans are happy to buy them. I know there have been efforts to curb the vice but some people are adamant and never mind about the efforts put in by others to secure the patent rights of their products. In sports, it is common practice for various consumers to comfortably walk in a sports shop and buy a jersey only to be duped that it is ‘original’ or the official jersey of a particular club or national team.
The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) on Thursday unveiled its new logo replacing the old one which had the two crested Crane and a ball. Like it is the norm world over, change at times is never welcomed with open hands and positivity. The new logo has already received disturbing comments from the public but the fans need to welcome the change. The Uganda Cranes has never had a logo.
I think the explanations on the new logos are simple and clear. The five stars on the FUFA logo indicate the federation’s five bodies-The General Assembly, FUFA Executive Committee, Standing committees, Judicial bodies and Secretariat. I know there have been concerns already with the use of stars which many people thought indicate the number of times a team has been champion of a particular championship.
The most important thing is for the football lovers to know that now the FUFA logo has been patented, there will be chance for the federation to make some revenue which will be spent on various projects.
In the past it was very tough for FUFA to actually claim that they owned the crested crane logo. They had no powers to stop people from buying the jerseys from various people or even importing them. Now it will be very clear for those who try to manipulate the patenting rights if they use the new FUFA logo without permission. It will be challenging but people need to know that one can’t easily use other party’s logos without their consent.
Let’s embrace the change and FUFA believes it has laid the foundation for the future generation regarding patenting rights of the federation’s logo and those for the various competitions and awards.
Photo: FUFA President Engineer Moses Magogo unveiling the federation’s new logo last week in Mengo
There has been attempt by many analysts, scholars, academicians and commentators to diagnose the problems engulfing sport in this country or should I say football to be specific. I am sure everyone has heard enough of that. In the process we have discovered hard realities and I will attempt to revisit a few as I contemplate the way forward.
Government Legislation
For the last 49 years, Uganda has lived without an enabled sports law. The 1964 NCS Act required the minister of sports to draw regulations for the operationalization of the act and these have never been drawn. Uganda remains an island as all former British colonies that had a similar law like Tanzania (1976), Ghana (2011) and Kenya (2012) have since amended their colonial sports laws to suit the times. The current act is now obsolete as sport has since changed from recreational and amateur to professional. The way forward is enacting a new law after thorough consultations and employing experienced and professional sports law experts
Club Structures
League football which is a fundamental to football development was built on a sand foundation. There was no organic formulation of football clubs. It was the league then clubs instead of the other way round. The short cut of using institutions such as coffee, Nile etc as football clubs exposed this structure. Only Express and SC Villa were built as football clubs that can sustain the pressure of the modern game. The recent upheavals have exposed the clubs more as the veil was lifted only to find skeletons of their former might. There were no known owners, no constitutions, no quality personnel and no direction and consequently multiple decisions were being made by everybody. The way forward is rebuilding football clubs. Fans belongingness, geography, demographical classifications ought to come out to shape the identity and culture of clubs. The various FIFA/CAF/FUFA education programmes and club licensing agenda should provide a solution to this problem
The Federation
FUFA has always been the white chicken and various changes of faces have not taken this notion and belief away. Perennial failure to qualify for the finals of AFCON and WC is observed end itself and as incompetence and the head hunting begins. It has also been proven that irrespective of National Team Success and fans turn ups thereat, the other football competitions have suffered. FUFA has not been fair to itself by keeping so much information away from the public. A way forward is a comprehensive strategy, dedicated work force, and competence ahead of patronage. FUFA should take lead to mend fences as football needs everyone but those sitting on the other side should be willing to pick the olive branch as well.
The Media
Never in the history of the game has the media ever been torn apart like now. Editors, writers, presenters and officials of the Uganda Sports Press Association have taken ultimate positions to use their pens, keyboards and mouths to shoot for the side they sympathize with. It has been proven that irrespective of the propaganda machinery, facts will remain facts and lies will remain lies. The way forward is to pick up the pieces of the aftermath of the war and take on professional ethics. The current USPA executive has an option of what kind of legacy they will leave behind. One of 2 leagues of journalists or one that learns from past mistakes and takes the direction of teaching and enforcing ethics and integrity
The Sponsors
Corporate Companies desire to transmit their brand messages to masses using football. Despite the storm, MTN, Nile Breweries and NIC kept with the National team while Bell and Super Sport did not announce quitting. This shows that football has the ability to attract even more sponsorships. It is a lesson to all that sponsors are better to pay and receive their buy than meddling into the football politics using the monies as bait. Only football under FUFA, CAF and FIFA can provide the value for money to sponsors while enhancing development of the game. Football has its peculiar regulations and only when they are observed can we have sustained relationships. As a way forward, let the sponsors come out to finance the league recognised by FUFA, CAF and FIFA. This will realign everyone.
Conclusion
Everyone has been hurt and there are lessons that have been learnt. The game is for us all. Let everyone contribute to the game. There are many areas beyond FUFA to contribute to the game. Let institutions get ahead of individuals, let us accept to learn where we lack, let us live together even when we disagree. Let us stop playing “kifiriza” (destroyer role) for the generation after us. Let us abandon our extreme war and ego positions for the beautiful game. We can all be accommodated. Those who continue to sound the war drums are the enemies of the game and they will get fewer and fewer as reality settles in. Let us all condemn any protagonists hereafter. It is our game, it is our country
The last time I wrote, it was my opinion as to why since 1978, Uganda has not qualified to the finals of AFCON. We have changed personnel from Administrators to players to coaches to ministers and this has not fixed the problem. Why are we still bent at calling for names and heads when naturally change will occur by vote, age, expiry of terms and contracts and God forbid death?
Many critics have gone for their wishes instead of the merits of my opinion. I said, there are problems sports should fix but there are bigger issues that affect results that sports cannot fix and everyone is burying his head over these glaring issues. The issues of infrastructure, funding, taxation, policy and law are urgently required to transform this industry.
I am taking a personal crusade to enlighten the masses on the unthought-of areas and not that I am not aware that as the sports industry there is a lot internally we need to address For example, why are people bent to qualification as the ultimate to football development? My belief is that qualification is just a sign of development but not development itself. The day we run a professional sports industry in Uganda, qualification and medals at world meets will be a given. However even if we qualified now with the status quo, there is no guarantee we shall qualify again Instead of bickering, we should task Government to look at Sports as more of an industry than a recreational activity.
When the industry engages the Parliament, the Executive and the Judiciary, it should be about creating a sector to employ the youth. We need to raise issues of curving out a new sector or industry that will engage young people. Unfortunately, when sports people engage government, it is about who is the right party to run the league, the federation should go; we need tickets for an international meet etc. These are very myopic issues that government may and usually does not respond to.
We need to educate government of the benefits of a vibrant sports industry to government and to the people of Uganda.
With a vibrant sports industry, the youth shall be fully engaged in useful energy consuming activities instead of being taken advantage of by politicians in demonstrations that will never benefit the youth themselves. Government should be reminded of the effect of youth and more so redundant ones like what happened in Arab world. With these energy consumption activities, the youth will be drawn away from crime, drugs abuse (outlawed in sports), and HIV.
With a fully sporting nation, many people will be engaged and certainly the national health budget shall be cut. We shall have able bodied and a fit population to support the economy and expenditure on certain diseases will be reduced.
There are many opportunities that will arise. The sporting clubs, the media, the facilities, the corporate sponsors, industries, the sports equipment business sector, etc will not only employ young Ugandans but will also increase on the tax base for government. There is a likely massive investment by the private sector in the industry after the government kick-in efforts.
The youth in sports clubs will undertake informal education to up bring useful citizens. Sports is about regulations, discipline and education and many who may not have gotten the opportunity to see a blackboard may break the vicious cycle of poverty in their family lines.
With numerous athletes that the professional sports industry shall produce, Uganda will boast of professionals who will earn forex from other economies and spend it in our economy. The likes of JJ Okocha, and Kanu (who saw very few blackboards) have massive investments of hospitals and banks not only to provide employment but also a bigger tax base and a service to the nation. All they did was playing football
There is not going to be a better methodology to preach patriotism in this country other than using sports. Whenever the national football team converges at Namboole, it has nothing to do with religion, tribe or political affiliation. When Kiproitich won the Olympic Gold Medal after 40 years, no one wanted to know which tribe or religion he is. It was the national anthem that was sung for the whole World. I was surprised while in Tunisia for a shop attendant to ask where I come from and he did not know about Uganda until another person in the shop talked of, Akii Bua, SC Villa with Club Africaine, Inzikuru and Kiproitich. It was all about sports. Instead of paying millions of dollars to advertise on CNN about the tourism sector in Uganda, Sports will do. Kenya is known for the long distance runners but this has also boosted its tourism sector
We therefore need to remind (not request) government that we are Ugandans, who pay taxes and need services from government and we need to educate government on the above and more benefits of a vibrant sports industry
My opinion goes further to call upon all serious sports minds to a forum to unselfishly brainstorm on strategies of how we can engage government on more meaningful developmental issues that the sports industry cannot do. We are organized, we can get a forum and government will deliver. Name calling should be abandoned for the previous generation. Can you join the revolution?
Let me take this opportunity to add my voice to the millions who have already opinionated about the state and future of Ugandan Football.
We need to look at our society more holistically if we are to make a scientific analysis and obtain real solutions. What is the state of the nation in all areas of life? Sport gets most stick for crimes of the society and the generation yet it is a subset. This is because sport has international competitions to compare with other countries and when the results do not come by, we look for solutions from sports instead of the society.
Imagine if we had an Africa Cup of Nations in Education, Roads, Poverty, Governance, Health, etc would Uganda rank among the top 16 African states? Why do we then think it is in football where we must belong to the top 16 in Africa by right yet Sport in this country is nth (where n is a large number) priority order of the national interests if the national budget allocation is anything to go by?
Whenever the homosexuality and drugs abuse debates come up about Ugandan football, critics are bent at looking for answers from football yet it is a society challenge. If we make wrong diagnostics, definitely we shall make wrong prescriptions and the patient will die.
My take is that football challenges have solutions that can be looked for from football but there are the key ones football cannot solve. Society challenges can only be solved by Ugandans (Government).
As football, we need government in the area of infrastructure, law and funding.
Football has no capacity to create the infrastructure platform required for sustained football development yet instead government has presided over the demolition of what existed. There was a Boma ground in every town in Uganda but they have since been sold off, Kampala City Council had 65 gazetted grounds but only 2 are now left, we had Nakivubo, Bugembe, Pece and Mbale on international standard then but not even Namboole now is. What has happened to Lugogo, Mulago, Nsambya where the Omondi’s and Musisi’s came from? Can AFCON qualifications really come from these circumstances? How can Mulindwa, Bobby and Andy Mwesigwa solve this puzzle? Aren’t we misguided to look for solutions from these personnel?
Look at the law. Uganda Sport is still regulated by the 1964 National Council of Sports Act, Nakivubo by the 1953 Act while Namboole and other sports grounds have no national law governing them. When 2 lawyers cause a stampede in the football industry and government cannot find a ground to put them in order is another glaring problem of the inept law. We want to qualify for AFCON but risk an international ban by activities of these lawyers that also affect the elite league funding that should produce the players for the Cranes but Government cannot stamp its authority on these individuals citing the law. How can Mulindwa, Bobby and Andy Mwesigwa solve this puzzle? Aren’t we misguided to look for solutions from these personnel?
Since 1978, we have changed football personnel from coaches, players and administrators and 34 years later we still think changing personnel is the solution? I think we need to look at other areas because the personnel will change by call of nature. Players get old, administrators will be voted out, coaches’ contracts will expire. I have been inspired by last travel with the Cranes to Liberia and my oblongata had to be put to use. We now win almost all home games irrespective of the might of the opposition but we have won only once in 12 years away from home and the reason we have not qualified. The only time we won away in 12 years, FUFA received funding from State House (Not Government and consequently not as policy but good gesture of HE the President). On that occasion, FUFA Camped away in Senegal, connected players direct to Dakar from their bases, sent advance party to Guinea Bissau and motivated the players beyond usual. I am backed by statistics to conclude that inadequate funding has been the reason we lose away games. It is only in Uganda where the Football Association funds the national team 100%, pays the head coach, pays taxes on its meager income, pay customs taxes for donated materials for courses for development of the game and pays for government services like security at football matches. With this order of event, how can Mulindwa, Bobby and Andy Mwesigwa solve this puzzle? Aren’t we misguided to look for solutions from these personnel?
The thirst since 1978 for being at the finals has diverted every mind to use qualification as an eternal measure of success. Rwanda, Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania have played at the Nations Cup more recently than Uganda but still have nothing to show for that.
It is high time we get focused and make the right diagnostics and the right prescriptions for the patient to heal.
Eng, Moses Magogo
FUFA VP-Administration
FIFA Football Management & Administration Instructor
The FUFA President Lawrence Mulindwa (in navy blue suit) at the technical centre in Njeru
Over twenty years ago, the current location of the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru was known to be a great hunting ground for the local residents.
To testify this, Yozefu Muyita,71 one of the residents who turned up to watch the finals of the Presidential U16 Youth Cup said the area herbed many wild animals which included antelopes and bush backs among others.
Muyita said he was amazed to find the area now far developed into a great home of football. “Between 1983 and 1994, this was fertile ground for hunters and we ate a lot of bush meat from here. We once killed a buffalo which we shared among seven families on the eve of a Christmas day…, it could have been 1985” recalled the old man who also claimed to have played football before.
Presidential Cup finals: St. Marys Kitende vs St. Andrews Rubindi SS action at Njeru
Located on a ten acre piece of land, the FUFA technical centre is now ready for use. During the inaugural tournament, St. Marys’ Kitende SS edged St. Andrews Rubindi 1-0 to lift the first Presidential U16 Youth Cup. Eight schools representing different FUFA Regions took part in the five-day event. These included St. Edwards Bukuumi (Kitara), Jinja Progressive and Rock High SS (Eastern), Mvara SS (West Nile), St. Marys Kitende SS (Buganda), St. Andrews Rubindi (Western), Bishop Negri SS (Northern) and Old Kampala SS from Kampala Region.
The cause for excitement:
The Vice President in charge of technical matters, Stone Kyambadde handing over balls to one of the participating teams.
The technical centre is received with a lot of excitement among the residents and the Federation officials. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Presidential U16 Youth Cup, FUFA President Lawrence Mulindwa said the centre would be fully utilized by his federation. From April 7-12 the centre will accommodate the FIFA referees course before the Inter regional women competitions later in July.
Mulindwa said the centre would reduce on the costs that have been accumulating as a result of accommodation bills in hotels. “We shall consider having the National teams and the Cranes in particular coming here as well” said the FA president. The centre can house 45 players on top of having a modern conference hall that can accommodate over 200 people, an artificial turf and one natural grass playground.
Winners: St. Marys Kitende SS receive a trophy from FUFA President Lawrence Mulindwa on March 29
FUFA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Edgar Watson Suubi described the technical centre as a new home for the federation. “We shall be doing all our trainings here and conduct the office businesses in Mengo”, Edgar said. He further referred to the centre as a factory that will manufacture players. This was in comparison with the surrounding factories in the area that produce different goods. It’s now all set for the Technical Director to shift offices from Mengo to Njeru. The only challenge remaining is the construction of his residential house which the CEO said would be put among the next priorities.
Pioneer winners in Njeru:
St. Marys’ Kitende became the first school to win a competition organized in this technical centre. They beat St. Andrews 1-0 to walk away with a cash prize of UGX 3.000.000. The first runners up received UGX 2.000.000, the third team had UGX 1,000,000 while the fourth took home UGX 800,000. All the 8 participating schools walked back with cash prizes and balls. The four semi finalists had a new set of uniform each.
Noordin Bunjo (St. Marys Kitende) and Nesta Ahabwe (St. Andrew Rubindi) were voted the most valuable players while Bunjo also doubled as the tournament’s top scorer with 5 goals. They both received individual cash prizes. Despite emerging the 8th school in performance, Jinja Progressive Academy won the fair play award.
FIFA Development Officer Mr. Ashford Mamelodi inspecting the centre
Thank you FIFA:
It was all praises for the International Football body (FIFA) for funding this beautiful project. The technical centre was constructed with funds from FIFA under the FIFA Goal Project 1 and II. FIFA Development Officer in charge of Africa Ashford Mamelodi in company of his deputy Patrick Onyango inspected the premises on March 25 and commended FUFA for the proper utilization of the funds. Mamelodi said Uganda would be considered for further funding. To the FUFA President Lawrence Mulindwa, the word ‘thank you’ was all what he said to express gratitude to the FIFA President Mr. Sepp Blatter for the natural liking towards Uganda.
The players’ strike is another testimony that a lot is yet to be done to get a full professional football industry in Uganda. Education and sensitization of how the industry should operate needs to be more explicit as the fans, the players, the media, the administrators, the regulators and government are yet to understand the concept. The amateur football was here for too long for us to suddenly jump into the deep waters of professional football. I have cautioned before that not many people understand the concept yet the biggest problem is that most of the trusted commentators do not know that they actually don’t know
Professional football is a business equation where human, time and financial resources are invested into a process to create a football product that is bought at a higher fee than the cost of input. The human resource is composite of players, coaches, referees, administrators or more generally other professional and support staff to the process. The buyers of the product are the fans while the club owners are the investors into this process. FUFA are regulators to enforce association football rules while USL are the business conglomerate of clubs to package the football product to be good enough for the buyers.
The question is, of the mentioned parties, who is really doing anything close to their expectations? Are they even aware of this business equation? Are our coaches and players aware that they must contribute to the income of the clubs? Professional football has nothing like a rich man investing his personal money into a club or even an institution club like URA FC investing funds from elsewhere into the club. Actually in Europe it is outlawed to use funds not earned from selling a football product into a club
I wish to live a dream of a player plying his trade in Uganda earning from his talent like it is in Europe but we must all work to earn the dream. Let us face the reality, the players are paid very meagerly and I deeply share their concern but where should their pay come from? If all the Sponsorship money went into paying players, thus 68 million per club for 25 players for 12 months, each player would earn 226,667 UGX before NSSF and PAYE.
The picture is better represented in the table herein as the MINIMUM budget for a club to complete its fixtures over a season
I am aware there are clubs that are paying for lunch every day for the 25 players and paying housing allowance for the rent of the players in addition to their salaries. As we speak, there is only one source of funds for clubs and that is Sponsorship. If we think the 68 million shillings from the sponsors was to be offset, where is the UGX 82 million to run the club to coming from? Commentators are painting a situation where someone is earning off the sweat of players yet the truth is someone is spending hard earned personal cash into a club. Owning a football club is an addiction more like gambling or drugs well aware that it is a danger to your person but you continue to spend. Do you know why the former big cub spenders (read rehabilitated) former club official like Omar Mandela and Kirumira never come back? It is ironical that even some “fans” who do not watch club games are saying the players should be paid at least xxx amounts.
In a professional environment, the clubs would be earning from gate collections, media rights, club sponsorships, prize monies, sale of players, merchandising etc but we are all aware that currently none of the above is a source of revenue to clubs. We should actually be grateful to men like Col Jackson Tushabe Bells (Victors), Lawrence Mulindwa (Bunamwaya), the men at Express, SC Villa, and the institutions that provide the funds to clubs. The last league game to make worth gate collection was in 2003 and the stadia have been empty since then, so where has the money to run these clubs been coming from. I implore all critics of the clubs and sympathizers of the players to get their calculators before they point figures. The current USL football economy is retrogressive and growing in negative double digit percentage.
Having said that, the players have genuine issues that we must all accept. First and foremost there must be VALID contracts between players and clubs. The standard contract content and formatting should be included, the players should understand the contracts they are signing and copies should be given to players too. It is also important that clubs fulfill their obligations however little it may be. Let clubs accept players to be properly represented in contract discussions by persons of their choice. This has nothing to do with money.
I further implore the players to appreciate that the business equation of the league. They are required to cause income to clubs for them to be paid better. Without revenue to clubs, all they are demanding for is someone to get money from his pocket to pay them on top of providing an environment for them to play football. Players should further desist from being used by football politicians and vultures who have a different agenda. The valid concerns are watered down by demanding for FUFA officials’ resignation and stopping league games. Even in Spain and Italy, it had to be done during the off-season.
On the side of FUFA, we demanded that the clubs undergo a club licensing process and one of the conditions was valid players’ contracts. The officials at USL resisted and undermined the exercise and for example Express SC did not submit any single contract and was not eligible to play in the league by rules. Our issues to date with USL have been undermining football rules.
All in all, FUFA has an obligation to ensure that players and the clubs are protected. Personally I think the matter of local player agents should have taken root by this time.
About the Author: Magogo is the Vice president of FUFA in charge of Administration and a FIFA certified Administration Instructor. Besides Football, he is an Engineer working with African Development Bank )
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
The foundation onto which club football in Uganda was built is made of sand and cannot sustain club football any further until we go back to the basics. The football administrators over 4-decades have not analysed the situation to build on what was started by the founders
League Founder: Mr. Balamaze Lwanga (RIP)
To understand my frustration, you owe to appreciate the Uganda Super League Formation History. The genesis of club football in Uganda was an idea copied from England by Mr. Balamaze Lwanga (RIP) and Rev Polycarp Kakooza (RIP). The puzzle came from the fact that Uganda had participated in the Africa Cup of Nations finals in 1962 and 1968 both held in Ethiopia without any significant competition for the top prize. Ultimately the intention of starting the Uganda Super League was to create a strong national team with players coming from teams playing throughout the year. The identification of players from the grass roots was going to be easier and systematic. This is as was told to your columnist by the late Balamaze Lwanga in 2008
On the other hand, there were no clubs to form a league so institutions were contacted to form teams and in the far end districts were also convinced to create teams. The 1968 inaugural top flight league comprised of Prisons, Army, Coffee, Express, Jinja, Masaka, Mbarara and Mbale. These were 3 institutions, one club and 4 districts.
There existed an illusion of a football league and it served the purpose as the Uganda Cranes qualified for the final of AFCON 3 times in the 70s with the epitome of 1978 when we lost in the finals to Ghana. I have also heard so many analysts claiming that we go back to the days of Lint, UEB, and Coffee as football teams. Personally I believe this is where the problems of clubs football in Uganda began. We banked on institutions which had the human and financial resource of the organisations to run football clubs yet the clubs did not develop their own structures and facilities. Coffee Marketing Board had the elite human resource, with excellent governance processes, with finances, with the office and training ground facilities but their main business was buying and selling coffee and when the times got tough, it was the football that was “dustbined”. All the history of this club went to ashes and nothing had been built or left of a club.
Steven Bogere (Tobacco FC) sold feigns and dummies to commentators as well
A professional football club on the other hand, comprises of a business unit whose ownership is clear, with finances, medical setup, stadium, offices, training grounds, youth setup, a sound senior team, a marketing arm, an event management function, a means to recruit and maintain a huge fan following and proper communication strategy to the fans, owners, employee, other football organizations and the entire public. Such an organization cannot be a department of another organization.
Fast forward to the current situation, there are 10 institution and 6 individually owned clubs. Whereas UPDF, Prisons, Uganda Police consider their clubs in USL as a recreation arm of the forces, URA, BIDCO, National Water, Masaka, UTODA, KCC, and Fire Masters are looking at the PR mileage from these clubs for their core businesses. With due respect, Bunamwaya, Proline, Hoima and Victors are just football enthusiasts with the love for the game but still limited by resources and expertise. Left with Express and SC Villa as the only football clubs created for football purposes and it is not by accident that they are most supported clubs in Uganda but with random, unfocused, lacking the know-how and self-centred administrations over years, these clubs have equally been run down from continental giants to relegation survivors with a combined domestic league trophy drought of 23 years.
In the current status quo, the USL club officials are a cocktail of Institution staff and “hang-arounds” holding out as club officials, club owners, club coaches, etc and this mixture do not hold the same agenda and consequently can never forge into the same direction. How representative is Lt. Tom Lwanga of Simba on matters of the club when decisions about the budget to run the club are done at another level? Will Kitandwe deliberate on cardinal issues of Bunamwaya without consultation? Mwebaze Asaph, Oyet Julius and sometimes Charles Ayeikho have represented their respective clubs. Do not get me wrong, these guys have done a huge role to feel the gap but that is how far it can go.
I would imagine if the club owners forum had Brigadier Adda (Simba), Allen Kaginna (URA), Kale Kaihura, Lawrence
Hassan Mubiru: The days when Express vs. Villa was the talk of town
Mulindwa (Bunamwaya), Mujib Kasule (Proline), Katongole (UTODA), Jennifer Musisi or is it Lukwago (KCC), Col Bell (Victors) etc then real clubs business would be discussed. The challenge is that the institution clubs de-facto heads have no time for this kind of business and do not even appreciate this as one of their roles. This has benefitted the delegated persons to offer voting numbers required by at the whelm of USL, without the consent of clubs de-facto heads, in exchange of their petty personal satisfactions
The way forward is to go back to the basics and create real football clubs. We need to properly address the ownership issues. Let the institutions move into owning companies called football clubs. Let the institutions, owners, name boards of directors who shall be tasked to pave for long term development of clubs with 10-20 years goals of creating self-sustaining entities.
There must be a clear separation of roles of the owners, the employees (technocrats) and the customers (fans). There is no longer room for clubs owners to take over roles of the board and eventually the management. Uganda Police Force as the Owners of Uganda Police FC Ltd, need to appoint a board which may include other people from outside the Police Force. The Board shall be required to hire a CEO and Staff (full time and professional) to conduct the day-to-day business of the club
Without laying strategies of fans development, there is practically nothing that will evolve on its own. Football income comes from fans. The Value of Media Rights, Sponsorships is directly proportional to the fan following. Gate collection and Sale of Merchandise are dependent upon fan following. FUFA and the USL have no means to mobilise fans for clubs. It must be the clubs themselves through long term strategies using strategic thinkers or outsourcing.
Otherwise there is no club in Uganda with the moral authority to sack a coach for poor results. There is a lot lacking underneath for a coach to deliver a football result
About the Author: Magogo is the Vice president of FUFA in charge of Administration and a FIFA certified Administration Instructor. Besides Football, he is a professional Engineer working with African Development Bank in Kampala City. He will be posting a weekly Topical Opinion of matters of subject every Friday)
My Late Grandmother used to tell many folk stories but there was this one I remember vividly, that the Grasshoppers’ Mr. Right was the sun and would do anything to reach their Mr. Right. That is why up to now grasshoppers are trapped by giving them a false sun. While trapped in a container that is when they realize they are in a wrong place and should fight to find their way out. Instead of common effort, they resort to biting each other. I find this very synonymous with sports administrators in Uganda today
FIFA's Mamelodi meeting USL and FUFA officials
For starters, by 2004, Ugandan Football in general and FUFA in particular was synonymous with a ragtag downtown setting led by people clueless about the convergence of professional football and modern business practices, hugely indebted organization, a laughing stock shunned by players and the entire public with total collapse of rule of football laws.
Not because I have been involved in the current administration but a lot of achievements have been made in the football industry compared to the situation in 2004. In very difficult circumstances, (Uganda is the only country where the National Football teams are funded by the Football Association and not government in the whole world), FUFA has converted Uganda Cranes from participants to competitors, built the image of the Uganda Cranes to the number one sporting brand in Uganda. A number of players have come through the ranks now ready to replace the old guards. A few challenges though still exist including qualification to AFCON and it should not be used as the overall rating but a mere key performance indicator.
For example the euphoria that was built by FUFA around the Uganda Cranes in the wake of the Uganda-Kenya game did not result into qualification to the anguish of us all but with HE the President being usurped by the power of football euphoria of the moment did not only visit the camp but has ordered the Ministry of Finance to include an annual vote in the national budget of 350 Million UGX into football for the next financial year and thereafter. This is the first of its kind ever and will only get bigger and is here to stay. H.E the President has further directed the Rt Hon. Prime Minister to engage FUFA and the Ministry of Education and Sports on how government can help improve the sport in Uganda. Isn’t this a milestone achievement we should toast to? FUFA has eventually caught the attention of the powers that are
The state of sports grounds-Mbale Stadium
FUFA and generally the football industry do not have a capacity to own and construct football infrastructure. Some of the legislation is very old and not conforming to the times but in our country setup, how much can FUFA change this status-quo. Furthermore, the current economic turbulence has affected every walk of life and football is a recipient of the effects of the challenge. There is general moral collapse and patriotism in every walk of life in this country is at its lowest. The use of drugs by youth is getting more sporadic and where does football get these players from? In our very society we live in
As the Uganda Cranes fell short again by a goal against Kenya to qualify for the AFCON 2012, a sizeable number has been defining this as failure and consequently need to change management at FUFA the body responsible for the development and preparation of the team. In football, many analysts will attribute this to a number of reasons and majorly to FUFA. My opinion is that, yes FUFA is responsible for Development to bring in players and also the preparation and co-ordination of activities to obtain a result but there are also factors that are beyond FUFA. For example the factors affecting society are not considered in this blame game yet football does not live in isolation. We have changed Football Administrations since 1978 using AFCON qualification as a yard stick but when are we going to wake up to scientific analysis of the matters?
As FUFA, we would appreciate a positive debate onto matters to discuss with government to better the sport other than uncalled for blame games. How can we create long lasting solutions with the support of government now that FUFA has created an environment that has led to an audience with the highest office in the Country? What are the issues of concern that government should be engaged with to stimulate an otherwise sleeping giant of an industry?
For Government, there is everything to achieve when Uganda starts a fully professional sports industry.
The Diagram below demonstrates in summary the 11 players on a football pitch that the Government and indeed Uganda would benefit from running a vibrant fully professional sports industry
In my opinion, we need government in the following areas;
Infrastructure
It is now evident that national disaster is about to happen now that Namboole cannot accommodate the Uganda Cranes fans and it is also true that the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers staring in June 2012 shall not be hosted at Namboole for not having numbered seats which is a minimum requirement. All playing grounds in the country are being overrun by “developers” and no replacements are being made.
It is high time the GoU thought of modernizing Namboole and constructing a bigger and Modern Stadium like the neighbouring countries have done. Centralization of sports facilities such as Bugembe, Mbale, Kakyeka, Pece etc under an authority in the Ministry of Sports with government financial support to refurbish would take us miles. It is possible for the GoU to obtain a grant from Development Agencies like it was done for the Local Markets
Click Here to see the Rwanda Government and FIFA Synergy in infrastructure development
Legislation
The Current Sports Legislation was done in 1964 and does not just fit in the modern times. The element of the professional approach to sports is missing. As we struggle to legislate the new Oil and ICT sectors, there is a new emerging professional sports industry than needs attention as well
The Court of Arbitration of Sports as recognized by the laws of the republic of Uganda and to which all sports federations would subscribe to in their own statutes would take us miles from the court squabbles that never cease in sports
Investment Incentives
There have been many tax holidays and land extended to investments that the GoU considers to be budding and projected to accommodate many people in form of employment and/or business opportunities. How different is a fully professional Sports industry in Uganda different from these?
Investor Conditions
Elsewhere, investment license carry conditions of community social responsibility and sometimes sports sponsorships and funding attract reduced tax obligations. This pushes the private sector into funding the sports sector
Sports Policy
Representation of Uganda on the international scale should attract well stipulated rewards and facilitation directly by government. We should move away from rewarding athletes who have won accolades but we are seen nowhere while they prepare and it should not be the discretion of persons in position to reward but a policy and known processes of preparations and reward
Financial Support
The various sports federations require direct sports funding. Development of their human resource and their own administration structures would benefit from this funding. National Teams or Teams representing Uganda in the international competitions would require financial Support from Government
Hosting an International Competition
We are a nation and we can do it. We have seen so many nations poorer than us doing it. Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda etc have hosted international competitions and we have also hosted CHOGM. Is it not high time Uganda bided to host an international football competition? In the current setup, Uganda cannot even host CECAFA because FUFA would remain in millions of debts and why take weight but with government support, Uganda may be with Kenya or Tanzania, we can apply to host the Africa Cup of Nations 2019
About the Author: Magogo is the Vice president of FUFA in charge of Administration and a FIFA certified Administration Instructor. Besides Football, he is a professional Engineer working with African Development Bank in Kampala City. He will be posting a weekly Topical Opinion of matters of subject every Friday)
In 2006 in Munich Germany at the FIFA Congress, it was reported that 99.8% of the 250 million registered football players in world were amateur. FIFA realized that these statistics were a huge detriment to international football where the gap between the top and bottom would widen. FIFA football development and financials concept is built on football competitions such as Spain vs. Djibouti going either way. The FIFA Congress created the 2006 Munich Task Force and required the FIFA Executive Committee to draw Club Licensing Regulations that would be adopted through the Confederations (CAF) down to the Member Association (FUFA).
FIFA has since drawn the FIFA Club Licensing Regulations and has also drawn an implementation agenda for the confederations and member associations. FIFA further went ahead with the Win-in-Africa-with-Africa with education of club owners mounted in all African Countries by June 2010 to coincide with the World Cup in Africa. In Uganda it gave birth to the Jinja Declaration and consequently the USL. Whereas Uganda opted for the Engilish Premier League Model of a company Limited to run the elite league, Zambia and Tanzania went for the Bundesliga Model where their leagues are run by the federations. FUFA had to change its statutes, create and appoint a VP from USL and Create a Licensing regime (Bodies and rules). FUFA has not only fulfilled its obligations of the declaration but went ahead to wipe off a staggering 70,000,000 UGX that the clubs owed referees before handing over.
FUFA created the Club Licensing regulations and appointed the FUFA Licensing Board that comprised, Bainamani Bernard as Chairman, Magogo Moses as Secretary, Tomusange Ali, Kabugo Sam and Balenzi Fred as Members. This committee, upon the request of Mr. Kavuma Kabenge, adopted Mr. Paul Kabaikaramu and Richard Omongole. The regulations that were decimated in scores for the various standards marked out of 100% found so many clubs wanting in the professional requirements many of which did not require money but organizational abilities. The regulations emphasize the concept that for a club to be licensed to play in a competition should not depend on sporting ability only but the areas of Finance, Infrastructure, Administration and personnel, Sporting and Legal Structure.
Two incidents have inspired me to write this article;
The first is that Daily Monitor ran an article where the author wondered if FUFA is for football by name and objectives, “why would they refuse to register Simba FC for CAF Club Competitions because a 10,000USD fee not in CAF regulations.” On top it looked like a genuine concern but deep inside was underlying the option of either the author not knowing how modern football is managed or a new recruit to the clan of spin doctors. Circulars are part of regulations in football either to clarify or amend the content of the printed law books and financial inability is a new criterion that CAF has in writing asked FUFA to consider before registration of clubs in CAF Club Competitions. In any case, a journalist who has been following Ugandan Clubs in CAF Club Competitions is aware of Referees and Commissioners abandoned in hotels, failure to play return legs, running away with gate collections without declaration to CAF, control of crowds, players accruing more than 4 yellow cards in a game and all these are matters that have accrued fines from CAF. CAF does not pass on these fines to the Clubs but to FUFA and some of these football crimes are committed out of negligence and could have been avoided
The second is the circular from USL, creating a club licensing body and their own rules. I am going to continue to ask whether the learned friends at USL ever understand the basic football rules. Association Football is a fully regulated discipline and unlike Music or Drama or, with due respect, every activity in football has governing parameters. The FIFA Club Licensing regulations are very clear on the objectives, procedure and the entire responsibility is put upon FUFA. When Mr. Kabenge came back from Germany, the new terminology was licensing. He either does not know how this is regulated or he is up to his life dream of antagonizing FUFA, undermine authority, reduce or remove legitimacy of the authority and collapse a structure because he is aware that by the civil route of elections, he can never win any election anywhere because of his modus operandi. He would also like to create an empire of the powers to admit and dismiss from the league clearly reserved for FUFA as a special shareholder in the USL Memorandum and Articles of Association as the case has been with Hoima and CRO. The FIFA Regulations indicate that should FUFA at its discretion desire to delegate the league to do licensing, the CAF executive Committee must approve the FUFA request to delegate authority to the USL. As we speak the USL is creating a Licensing Body that the leadership can selfishly manipulate irrespective of what FUFA is mandated or has already done.
The people in leadership and mass media communication position should read and get more knowledgeable or be clear of underhand methods if we are going to professionalize the league
(About the Author: Magogo is the Vice president of FUFA in charge of Administration and a FIFA certified Administration Instructor. Besides Football, he is a professional Engineer working with African Development Bank in Kampala City. He will be posting a weekly Topical Opinion of matters of subject every Friday)
People living an ordinary life in Africa will agree with me that it is a daily battle for resources to survive into another day. Football is not different because it does not exist in utopia but affected by the daily dynamics of life. It is therefore empirical that African and in particular Ugandan football is deficient of resources. Incidentally when reference is made to resources, all eyes gaze at finances. Resources include Human, Time and Finance resources.
The Author and FUFA Vice President in charge of Administration, Eng. Moses Magogo consults the CEO Edgar Watson during the extra ordinary assembly in August this year.
Whereas I agree that we are deficient of the finance resources, my opinion is that we need time and human resources to create the finance resources instead of the other round. Incidentally the time resource is God given, but is the most abused resource in Africa and more particularly in Ugandan Football. I have attended football meetings in Uganda and instead it is normal for someone to turn up 2 hours after the start of the meeting justifying what is called “African Time”. All of us are culprits and we just have to look into the mirror and own up. I have also attended football meetings where people speak after another like “I want to emphasize…”, If something has been said why not say something different if u have a different opinion or move to the next item. We cannot turn the game professional when we do not harness the time resource efficiently.
With the time resource abused, the Ugandan Football industry is in a whirl of Human Resource deficiency. As the game turned professional demanding for more specialized skills, outside the conventional football skills of coaching and team management, such as legal, accounts, media, marketing etc, Uganda was going in the reverse direction with the few brains abandoning the sport to those who had nowhere else to go. Football further lost the economic power to retain the likes of Mike Mukasa, Aggrey Kibenge, William Nkemba, Opika Opoka, Robert Aloro, Katamba who were well schooled and had played or associated with football to the highest level but left mid their active football careers due to curable injuries or in search for better economic sense. The current situation is a huge lack of quality and quantity human resource. My reference to football human resource includes Players, Coaches, Sports Doctors, Referees, Administrators and Managers
There are so many people comprising the football human resource today, in very leading positions, that should not have been because of their lack of expertise yet the gaps are still very many to manage a fully professionalized industry. Incidentally those with evident lack of expertise in the areas of players, Coaches, Referees, Medicinists, and Administrators are clamoring for higher levels of responsibilities. Players want to play for the national teams when they can not conduct football basics like ball control, coaches want to take on national teams when they are pedestrian, there are traditional doctors working for clubs in the elite league, mediocre referees want FIFA budges and it is terrible for administrators who do not understand anything about professional football to be leading the process and are not about to learn. Some statements and actions of our football administrators are not only laughable but also regrettable to those who know
I am glad to announce that the FUFA President at the recently concluded Katomi FUFA Excom Retreat brought this reality to the Excom and has delegated my office of the FUFA VP-Administration to design and implement a strategy. It is an enormous task and I will need everybody in and outside football to appreciate this reality and come along with beautiful ideas, moral and material support. I will share my ideologies and intended procedures of this gigantic task in this forum amongst others
(About the Author: Magogo is the Vice president of FUFA in charge of Administration and a FIFA certified Administration Instructor. Besides Football, he is a professional Engineer working with African Development Bank in Kampala City. He will be posting a weekly Topical Opinion of matters of subject every Friday)
Many a Ugandan has expressed untold desire to consume professional football but how many really understand the concept!
To some, when clubs run the league then that is professional football and my response is that the most profitable and watched league in the world is the German Bundesliga which is run by the DFB (The Germany Football Association)
To others Professional football is TV football while many think when sponsors bring in money then it is professional football. I also know a group who think that when players are playing in another country then it is professional football, Not at all and I say that Yuda Mugalu is a Ugandan Amateur player in DR Congo
So what is the concept that many people have grappled with but do to really understand?
Professional Football is the sale of football products and services for a profit. This implies that the proceeds from the sales are more than the expenses. Every human resource in the professional football cycle should be performing his role at a fee. The club owners are business people interested in making money using football clubs, the players, the coaches, the administrators, the sponsors should all be looking at making their money from the fans using their routine and numbers
Football products include players, replica jerseys, merchandise and memorabilia, football club/team branded day-to-day useable products etc while the services include match tickets, subscription fees for TV Channels, etc that give the fans (Customers) a cause to spend their hard earned money onto their club.
In summary, Professional Football is about numbers in the stadium and on the multimedia.
BIDCO Players being chased
With the introduction of the Professional Club Football Concept in Uganda, the overall objective was to overhaul the football industry and open another page; unfortunately, we are stack in the reverse gear and pressing the accelerator harder than Suzan Muwonge. The otherwise wonderful project has been hijacked by self-seekers who do not understand any iota of the professional football concept. The USL project is in free-fall and to some of us who toiled with the introduction of the idea; we shall have been proven wrong by the conservatives who thought otherwise.
The project that should have collected professionals in the areas of Football (technically), Marketing, PR, Legal, Finance, Medicine, ICT, Media, etc has instead been used as a collection of all sorts of hang-around among others renown FUFA critics and/or those rejected by FUFA for their football crimes and incompetence
The club officials at USL have left huge human, time and financial resource vacuums at their respective clubs and no wonder the clubs of the active USL Club officials are experiencing sporting and non-sporting stunted growth
The current overall outlook of personnel and ideologies setup of the USL is a football political party with one agenda of overtaking power at Mengo other than professionalization of the league. On top of lack of the technical know-how, the USL team salvate at any opportunity to disagree with FUFA, position the mortars and LMG’s for war consequently abandoning the enormous duty of creating professional outfits called clubs. In the process, they have exposed their lack of knowledge of football rules by contesting the basic principles of association football. It is unfortunate but hitherto, who would have known that these people with a huge legal background do not understand basic football laws!
With the coincidence of sponsorship boom into league football, the resources were found to hire renowned spin doctors (self-styled media gurus who know nothing about professional football) to create an artificial era. For how long were they going to tell the world that black is white? Like Ashford Mamelodi put it, DSTV works with numbers and the reason they were in Kenya and not Ugandan was about the number of decoders bought and paid for monthly by subscribers, the very reason they have come to Football, Cricket and Rugby at the same time in Uganda. This has nothing to do with individuals and nothing to do with who is running those sports. Instead with the status quo they will not stay long
Unresolved cases of Hooliganism at USL matches
So what achievements are we talking about two years down the road? In fact the situation that is being swept under the carpet is worse than ever. The frequency of fixture changes, the loss of identity of home grounds, the kick-off times, the lack of judicial mechanism to enforce rules, the absolute and unquestioned powers of and lack of fair play by organizers who are coming from competing clubs, and transparency in monies meant for all clubs, patronage of unqualified clubs coupled with underhand dismissal of legitimate clubs, the crumbling club structures, the poor quality of football etc
Then what is the way forward; Institutions should be created ahead of individuals and should be given the chance to work. Let the clubs create a USL board comprised of a fine mixture of integrity, moral, business etiquette and football who come from outside the clubs/FUFA and let the board be independent of the clubs/FUFA but reporting periodically to the shareholders (Clubs and FUFA). The board shall create the management team for the day-to-day business of the USL headed by the CEO. Let these staff be recruited professionally by the Board and give all Ugandans an equal chance to apply. Let the Club Officials go back to their clubs and put their weight behind their clubs for better growth.
With the new management created on merit at USL right from the board to the messenger, the shareholders thus the clubs and FUFA will demand for results from this unit and the case of football politics at the expense of the league will be a thing of the past. What are club officials looking for in the board of the USL for heaven’s sake? It has not worked anywhere and actually it is one of the reasons S. African football with all the resources they have are not where they should be. The English Premier League Board, the model that we want to mimic, has no one from clubs. Have you heard of anybody from Arsenal or Manchester United on the League Board? It does not just make sense
I will hand over the button to the hired spin doctors
(About the Author: Magogo is the Vice president of FUFA in charge of Administration and a FIFA certified Administration Instructor. Besides Football, he is a professional Engineer working with African Development Bank in Kampala City. He will be posting a weekly Topical Opinion of matters of subject every Friday)
