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
Telecom Engineer by Training
