The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Federation of Uganda’s Football Associations (FUFA) has officially appointed an ad-hoc committee to oversee Uganda’s joint bid for co-hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
According to a statement from the local soccer governing body, the committee was endorsed by the FUFA Executive on Sunday, May 28, 2023. Its primary responsibilities include managing tasks assigned by FUFA and coordinating efforts with other stakeholders, including the Government of Uganda.
“The committee will work hand in hand with CAF on their special visit to Uganda to inspect the key items and facilities submitted in the bid.”
The Committee appointed will be chaired by the First FUFA Vice President Justus Mugisha, deputized by Darius Mugoye. Other members include Nakiwala Kiyingi, Rogers Byamukama, Ronnie Kalema, Rogers Mulindwa and Amin Bbosa Nkono.
Dubbed “the 2027 AFCON Pamoja bid”, it was jointly submitted last month by three football governing bodies: the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA), the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), and the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF).
These three African nations are determined to secure the right to co-host AFCON 2027, an event that, if successful, will bring the prestigious tournament to the region for the first time in fifty years.
The statement released by FUFA indicated that the trio had finished everything within time. “All the necessary requirements have been met and the bid was submitted to CAF within the set timelines by 23rd May 2023,” reads the statement
This put to an end the culmination of a long-standing ambition, primarily championed by Uganda’s FA President, Moses Magogo, to collaborate closely with his counterparts from Kenya and Tanzania to bring AFCON to the region.
The Confederation of African Football, the administrative and football controlling body has tentatively slated 1 June, and 15 July 2023 to inspect Uganda’s infrastructural readiness as lack of standard stadia has been identified as a major concern for the country.
Mugisha who now chairs the committee earlier told journalists after submitting the bid to parliament that they had generated what he described as ‘winning proposal’ under the guidance of technocrats in the Ministry of Education and Sports in Kenya and Tanzania respectively.
Inadequate stadium infrastructure has long plagued many East African nations, and as a result, many have been forced to host their continental matches in other countries. Among the East African participants, only Tanzania has a CAF-approved stadium, casting doubt on the joint bid submitted by Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, especially when compared to Egypt, which boasts over five CAF-approved stadia.
However, Moses Magogo, who is also a CAF Executive member, has frequently emphasized that CAF’s decision-making process does not solely hinge on a country’s current infrastructure but also takes into account their plans to meet the hosting requirements before the tournament dates, as well as the commitment demonstrated by the respective governments of the interested countries.
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