The Uganda Youth Football Association (UYFA) aptly headlined the motives of academy registration and compensation to be rendered to youth academies in the country during this year’s edition of the capacity building training program.
The participants included the Association executive committee members, coordinators and the sub committee members in an event that was held at FUFA house in Mengo the previous saturday 7/8/2021.
Last year, the federation deregistered all academies in the country in order to prepare for the new leadership and regulations to their operations, something that put a stop to their activities as a result.
The workshop was meant to remedy this challenge and FUFA Deputy CEO Decolas Kiiza, who was the main guest of the event, highlighted that and many other reasons for setting up the training.
“We were requested by the new leadership to orient them into governance matters and also educate them on the relationship and mandate between UYFA and FUFA. They as an association need the basics both structurally and administratively so as to run an organization of UYFA status.”
His message also encompassed the regulations for the international status and transfer of players from both the FIFA and FUFA angles, training and solidarity compensation.
He would also further cite the benefits of the training to the association members as an aid to the smooth running of their day-to-day activities and expounded on the misconception around a foreign contract and a professional one.
In continuation, Kiiza explored how an academy was able to make money from contracts both locally and foreign provided the player in question was over 18years of age. He also emphasized the need to have the right data through keeping records so as to establish a justification for the compensation.
Within the same context, FUFA Youth Football Development Manager Bashir Mutyaba raised the major objective of the federation’s eyes in Youth football:
“One of FUFA’s programs is to ensure that we develop the game, especially youth football in particular. We have designed different activities that we believe if implemented will help develop the game.”
The key program according to Bashir is the reorganization of football academies in Uganda and produce-and-develop players that can favorably compete on the international stage.
“Streamlined governance structure, the sporting elements, coaches, teachers, facilities will be paramount as we seek to give a conducive environment to players and get enough exposure.” He added.
Mutyaba would also reveal their intention to publish a curriculum aimed at ensuring that there is a philosophy of Uganda as a nation in terms of football. The game we identify with and the kind of players developed from the grassroots and identify with the philosophy.
The key requirement to acquire a license is surely getting a certificate of registration from UYFA therefore every entity that would wish to acquire one must have received a certificate of registration from UYFA according to him.
Uganda Youth football Association chairman Robert Kiwanuka went ahead to summarize his remarks in a nutshell:
“As one of our mandates as stipulated in our manifesto, improving the governance and digitising Uganda Youth football activities through capacity building is key and surely something we have rightfully achieved today. This forms part of our history.”
Their biggest constraint according to him was the majority of FUFA academies lacking enough information hence the need to embark on the sensitisation of various football academy operators in a bid to portray their mandate as an association.
It must be remembered that following the year 2018, FIFA requested that all players including the minors (over 18years) be registered within the FUFA connect program, which is a web based registration system whose server is based at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich.
The principal role of football academies in the country is to nurture young talent and ready them for professional competition. Now that there is some semblance of organisation, the sky might just be the only limit.
