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FUFA President Hon Magogo address Sheraton U17
The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) President, Hon. Magogo Moses Hassim, expressed gratitude to the Government of Uganda, led by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the Minister of Education and Sports and First Lady Janet Museveni, for their support in developing football infrastructure and promoting the sport.
Hon. Magogo made these remarks during a welcome reception for the Uganda U17 team at Sheraton Hotel, following their historic qualification to the FIFA World Cup U17 in Qatar.
The FUFA President also extended his appreciation to the entire team for creating history in Ugandan football.
‘The coach and your entire team, this is your moment to enjoy but also for Ugandans’ noted Hon. Magogo with a beaming smile during his address.
The FUFA President took a moment to applaud the players for their discipline, determination, and maturity, emphasizing that their achievement was a result of years of hard work. He thanked the parents and schools for supporting the players, especially for allowing them to be part of the team during the academic term.
“We’re talking about players under the age of 17, still under parental care, and we appreciate that their guardians allowed them to represent their country. The schools also gave these children the opportunity to express their talent—thank you.”
He further acknowledged the role of academies and clubs in nurturing young players, highlighting that their development journey began many years ago, often from the age of 10 or 11.
Hon. Magogo highlighted FUFA’s efforts to nurture young football talent through initiatives like the double licensing system that allows players under 21 to participate in multiple leagues, gaining more playing time and exposure to increase their chances of getting signed by top clubs, the FUFA U17 Juniors League-founded in 2015 and has produced talented players like Rogers Mato, Muhammed Shaban, Bobosi Byaruhanga, Travis Mutyaba, Allan Okello, Gavin Kizito and Kenneth Ssemakula, who have gone on to play for the Uganda Cranes national senior team, the FUFA Tv Cup launched in 2023, a tournament that has provided additional opportunities for young players to develop their skills in the traditional schools in Uganda and the Pan African Schools Championships-a competition supporting the youth football strategy, which was further bolstered by Odilo in 2019 for the schools.
The FUFA President cited examples of successful players who have come through FUFA’s programmes including Joseph Langol, Simon Wanyama, Shakur Magogo, Lukyamuzi Ashraf, Gavin Kizito, John Brian Owino and Thomas Ogema.
The FUFA President outlined the federation’s vision for Ugandan football, centred around developing young talent through the FUFA Technical Master Plan, which includes scouts in every district and a web-based application to track player development, improving sports infrastructure with government support, FUFA aims to enhance football facilities and promote the sport nationwide.
Hon. Magogo emphasised the importance of strategic planning, saying;
‘FUFA has been strategic with its plans, and you cannot say we just got lucky. Luck finds those who have a strategy and plans’
The Uganda U17 team’s qualification for the FIFA World Cup U17 marks a significant milestone for Ugandan football.
FUFA’s initiatives and government support have contributed to this success and the organisation is poised to continue developing young talent and improving sports infrastructure.
Source:FUFA Media
