The whole country is excited about today’s match with Senegal in the ongoing CHAN tournament at Mandela National Stadium Namboole.
The journey for the Uganda Cranes in this tournament has been well documented with results that have left many fans in high spirits. The opening fixture was not the best of the results for the football fans but the players regrouped and returned with seven points in three games to top group C and even qualify for the quarterfinals for the first time since the inception of the CHAN tournament.
The FUFA President Hon. Magogo Moses Hassim in his capacity as leader of football business in Uganda, took time to address key issues about the Uganda Cranes, status of team in camp and its customised hotel designed specifically for the team to suit a player’s environment while in camp. In his opening remarks of the media address held at FUFA Hotel, Kisaasi, the FUFA President thanked the Members of the Executive Committee who attended the event, media and the fans fr supporting the Uganda Cranes.
His addressed hinged on;
On Fans and Support
This is a national team and we are all Ugandans. I am very certain that what is not about to change is your nationalism. We did not do so well in the first game, but the fans came back for the second game and it was full house. It was a point of confidence in the national team. We came back for the third game and it was still full house. I am very certain that our qualification out of the group stage is purely because of the support we get at home. The fans have been amazing.
Thank you so much. Our fans, to be more specific, Ugandans and everybody else who has made an effort to ensure that the boys feel at home. I also thank, more specifically, the residents of this area (Kisaasi) who have always shown the team a lot of love.
The team now needs more support. We have gone through a phase (groups) and we are now in the knockout stage, where we have a game against Senegal this Saturday and it is very important that the boys are loved.
On Objectives and readiness
We have achieved our first objective, which was getting out of the group stages. It was our primary objective, because it was a monkey on our back. However, we want to go all the way.
The boys are in jovial mood, they are feeling happy, because those of you in the media who have joined us for lunch, you have dinned with them, and you can testify that the boys are happy, and they are willing to go all the way.
On Player Development
I will also take this moment to explain a few things that that player we see in the stadium, he did not start playing football yesterday. That player has been developed for the last 15 years.
Throughout the 15 years, he has gone through so many hands. Most of these hands are private hands.
Because it is such a tedious, long process. You will see Allan Okello today, but he was a player identified by FUFA Junior League that was started in 2015. He went through the structures. So today we are celebrating what he is doing. But he has been going through a process.
The final bit is motivation and logistics. Normally people want to commentate about the motivation. They want to commentate about logistics. But if you didn’t identify the right talent, if you did not develop the talent which you identified, however much you motivate, however much you provide logistics, they will never give you the results.
On Club Football
Because a doctor is developed from a school. Now a professional footballer must also be developed from a football school. Until we appreciate that we need proper academies.
If KCCA, SC Villa do not have the money, if these players we are talking about today do not eat, do not train properly, do not get paid well at clubs, you do not expect a miracle at the national team.
So as FUFA, our next focus is going to concentrate on how we package club football. Because the Ugandans have shown us that you can consume football on a daily. For the last two weeks, tickets have been selling out.
Let us support our clubs. Let it be an obligation that every Ugandan has a local football club, he can identify with.
On Team Hotel
I also want to talk about one of the issues that has also been prevalent in the media, it is about the team hotel. It is true that as a Federation, we have seen some of this feedback from the public. But I want to inform the general public that some of the publications that are being made are false.
A football hotel is customised. It is not a general hotel where you want and whatever you want.
This exclusivity gives us a way of preparing our own food our own way. About the hotel, it has its own gym also custom-made for football.
As we speak right now, this facility, we are also developing the outdoor arena. And if you look through the windows, there’s a pitch which is being developed so that this hotel you can even be able to do a night training.
CAF has to come and look at the amenities and this hotel was approved by CAF. According to the standards of the competition, who is more authoritative? Is it you, the competitor, or CAF?
On Long-Term Plans
Our long-term plan is developing the football stadium at Kariba, which is undergoing development. It has a first-class unit which has accommodation, which has all the amenities that we are talking about here at this moment. Eventually, that will be the home of the national team.
But that is a long-term process. Right now, we have competitions we are undertaking and we cannot stop doing that.
So there is no benefit at all for any people. In any case, I can tell you that this is one of the hotels where CAF paid the receipts, $120 per head full board.
On Infrastructure
I want to conclude by saying that this location we are talking about, is a necessity.
We would like to call upon the authority, KCCA, to improve the road network. That cannot be our responsibility as a federation. But we have been engaged with the authorities at KCCA.
Conclusion
Let us concentrate on our next engagement, and that is Senegal. How will we go to the stadium? How will we be a team?
So, I want to end my address by saying, let us support them. All they need right now is our support. All they need right now is our support to fill the stadium.
All they need right now is to show them that they’re doing this for all of us. This is the most important thing right now.
