MENGO – Just days after meeting Uganda Premier League clubs, the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) held another consultative meeting on Friday, June 12.
The meeting which was also held at FUFA House in Mengo, was with teams playing in the FUFA Big League.
The meeting chaired by FUFA President Moses Magogo in the presence of some FUFA Executive Committee members hinged on three key salient issues that included; how best clubs can brand themselves to suit modern trends, club licensing activity calendar and the proposed FUFA Competitions reforms.
Proposed action plan for FUFA Big League Club Licensing
-FUFA Consultative meeting with clubs – 12th June, 2020
-Release of Club licensing regulations – 22nd June, 2020
-Clubs express interest to participate in the 2020/2021 season – 23rd– 26th June, 2020
-First phase of the Clubs Pro Agenda – 1st– 10th July 2020
-Submit Clubs’ License application and all supporting documents – 13th– 24th July 2020
-First review and decision by First Instance Body-FIB (Club Licensing Committee) – 27th -29th July 2020
-First inspection of clubs’ facilities – 6th -13th August 2020
-End submission and uploading of Players’ documents on FIFA Connect System& Domestic Transfer Matching System (DTMS) – 14th August 2020
-Second review and decision by First Instance Body-FIB (Club Licensing Committee) – 17th August 2020
-Second Inspection of facilities – 4th September 2020
-Final decision by appeals body – 7th -11th September 2020
-Release of final list of successful clubs – 14th September 2020
-Release of fixtures -29th September 2020
-Kick-off of 2020/2021 FUFA Big League – 29th October 2020
What they said
Moses Magogo, FUFA President
“I take this opportunity to thank everyone that has attended this meeting. We appreciate your efforts towards developing the game of football. This meeting is aimed at evaluating ourselves, see how far we have moved but also know where we are going. For long we have dwelled on the sporting ground but we should be thinking about the other elements like governance and looking at the business side of football.
“As football, we have failed to realize the potential we have and how best we can tap into sponsorship monies. There are very many teams in the FUFA Big League that can embrace the community sense of belonging because you have huge but dormant fan bases. We need to play the game of numbers because a sponsor doesn’t look at how you spend but rather the value you give. The brand of the Big League is as strong as the clubs and that is what we must do and that is why we insist that instead of giving you the fish, we should give you the net to get more fish.
“We hope that the situation gets better and have these games played. As FUFA, we want promotion to be on sporting grounds and that is why we are still buying more time. However, this will depend on the guidelines given by the Ministry of Health.”
FUFA 1st Vice President, Justus Mugisha.
“When we brought the Juniors League in 2015, majority of the clubs in the Uganda Premier League saw it as a burden but for some who put emphasis on their teams have benefited. For instance, look at KCCA FC, they have been promoting players from their Junior team into the senior team and yet maintaining their standards in competing for titles.”
Kataka FC Vice chairman, Hassan Kakaire Kirunda
“I thank FUFA for the interaction we have had today, it has been fruitful and I propose that going forward, we should have such meeting often’ said Kirunda whose proposal was welcomed and an agreement was reached to have quarterly meetings between FUFA and the clubs’ management top brass.”
Paul Mark Kayongo, Chairman of Ndejje University FC
“I thank FUFA for the meeting. I believe it was a good gesture in boosting stakeholders’ confidence. What I request is for FUFA to make emphasis on the principles and revisit the existing FUFA Big League guidelines and see how teams can improve.”
Gilbert Nyaika, Kitara FC
“For the time I have been at Kitara FC, I think this is the first meeting we have had with FUFA at this level. It is important that FUFA gets to know our challenges as clubs and definitely such meetings are going to help.”
FUFA 2nd Vice President, Darius Mugoye
“I’m happy to report that I have observed the FUFA Big League for some time and I can say there is more football than politicking. If only clubs can employ the right human resource, then development and growth of clubs will be realized.”
FUFA Club Licensing Chairman, Rogers Mulindwa
“Club licensing is the kitchen of football across the world. Governance, financial stability and standards are very key. We need to move together with owners, leaders and technical staff to develop the game. The action plan is well laid out and ready to start.”
On the proposed FUFA Competitions reforms, in particular the playing format, members made various contributions on the matter but were later given an opportunity for further extensive discussion and report back on the agreed position.
Each of the 16 teams playing in the FUFA Big League will have a Junior League team, playing in the regional league where the particular team is based.
The aforementioned reforms are supposed to come into effect for the 2021/2022 season with next season (2020/2021) acting as a transition period.
