By Edward Tumusiime
The FUFA Executive is a policy making organ that makes key decisions on football matters in Uganda on a quarterly basis.
On Friday 30th April 2021, the FUFA President Eng. Moses Magogo chaired the 24th FUFA Executive Meeting in the boardroom of the Executive House-FUFA Complex in Mengo and several decisions were taken.
Here is a summary account of what was discussed.
Competitions.
FUFA Women Super League;
The Champions of the 2021 FUFA Women Super League will represent Uganda in the inaugural CAF Women Club Champions League. The Zonal qualifiers will run from July 17th to 1st August hosted by Kenya to determine the CECAFA representative to the inaugural CAF Women Club League Finals due in November this year.
Promotion and relegation in Women football Competitions.
Promotion: Two teams will be promoted from the FUFA Women Elite League 2020/2021 season to the FUFA Women Super League.
Relegation: The bottom team in each group of the FUFA Women Super League 2020/2021 season will be relegated to the FUFA Women Elite League.
Uganda Cup
The Executive Committee confirmed Masindi Stadium, Kitara Region as the venue for the 2020/2021 47th Edition of the Uganda Cup Finals.
The FUFA Drum 3rd Edition
The FUFA Drum 3rd edition (2021) shall be played at the FUFA Technical Centre (FTC). Dates to be communicated later on.
2021 CECAFA U-20 Women Championship
FUFA confirmed that it will host the CECAFA U-20 Women Championship that will be hosted at the FUFA Technical Centre, Njeru. The tentative date for kick off is 22nd August 2021.
The Executive also appointed FUFA 3rd Vice President Hon. Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi as the Chairperson of the Local Organising Committee 2021 CECAFA U-20 Women Championship.
CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup
The FUFA Executive approved Uganda will take part in the 2021 CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup in Ethiopia. This year’s CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup will be for players in the U-23 Category. Uganda will field predominantly the U-20 team that reached the Final of the Total Africa Cup U-20 Tournament in Mauritania. The decision to have the U-23 players for this tournament was reached during the CECAFA Exco meeting held on 11th March 2021 at Sofitel Hotel, Morocco.
3rd Division (Regional) Leagues
FUFA Executive approved that the 3rd Division Leagues be played across all the 8 FUFA Regions (West Nile, Northern, North East, Eastern, Buganda, Western, Kitara and Kampala). The Competitions Department has been tasked to come up with the appropriate format of play.
The 2020/21 Women regional League season has been nullified.
District Leagues
The 4th and 5th Division Leagues will not be organised this season.
FUFA Juniors League
The FUFA U-17 Juniors League 2020/21 season has been nullified.
The ODILO 3rd Edition
The ODILO (FUFA Primary Schools Football Competition) 3rd edition (2021) is annulled.
2nd Division League (FUFA Big League) 2020/2021
The group leaders in each of the groups and the best team after play-offs involving the Runners up and 1st Runners up in each group, be promoted to the 1st Division League 2021/2022 season.
The last 2 clubs in each group shall be relegated to the third division while the winners of the 3rd division play-offs shall be promoted from the 3rd Division.
Playoff pairings:
Kampala/Buganda
Western/Kitara
Northern/West Nile
Eastern/North East
National Team’s technical setup
National A Men’s Team (Uganda Cranes)
The Executive will continue to review the process and criteria for selecting the technical set up of the National Senior team -Uganda Cranes before any decision is made.
Uganda U-23 (Kobs)
Morley Byekwaso will be the Head coach of the Uganda U-23 team during the 2021 CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup in Ethiopia. Simeon Masaba (Assistant Coach), Stephen Kigundu (Goalkeepers’ Coach) and Ivan Ssewanyana (Physiotherapist) are also part of the technical team.
FUFA Awards – 2021
The FUFA Exco approved the Airtel FUFA Awards to be organised in December this year since there have been a good number of competitions played in the season.
Prize Money
FUFA Executive approved to extend prize monies to Futsal Super League starting with the FUFA Financial Year 2022.
2021 General Assembly
FUFA Executive approved the Eastern Region Football Association to host the 97th FUFA Ordinary General Assembly on 21st August 2021 in Mbale City. The same Assembly will elect the new FUFA President and Executive into office for a four year term.
Regulations
Club Licensing
The FUFA Executive approved a handbook of sanctions that will be referenced for disciplinary measures for clubs that breach the Club Licensing regulations when the season is in-progress. The handbook also incorporates the CAF Requirements for the representative teams in CAF Competitions. The handbook will be released by the FUFA Competitions Department through the Club Licensing Office.
Capacity Building
The FUFA Executive approved a new set of regulations to be followed by various stakeholders who are planning to organise capacity building courses during the ‘New Normal’ era of the Covid-19. Regulations will be released by the FUFA Football Development Department through the Human Resource-Capacity Building office.
Change of Club Names
The following Clubs’ requests to change names were approved:
Busitema University FC to Ateker FC (Soroti, North East Region)
Bumandi United FC to Bundibugyo United FC (Bundibugyo, Kitara Region)
Volcom Lion’s FC to Fort City FC (Kabarole, Kitara Region)
Kiryandongo TC FC to Kiryandongo United FC (Kiryandongo, Kitara Region)
Pepsi FC to Uganda Pentecostal University FC (Kabarole, Kitara Region)
The following Clubs’ requests to change names were rejected:
Asingya FC to Rufura Proline Bwara FC (Kasese, Kitara Region)
Lugazi Municipal FC to Lugazi Sports Club (Buikwe, Buganda Region)
Kampala University FC to Lugazi FC (Buikwe, Buganda)
2021 National Team Regional Tours
The National Teams Regional Tours 2021 shall involve the U20 Boys and U20 Girls National Teams.