CECAFA crisis assemblage calls for quick awakening from ‘slumber’

By and large, the Eastern and Central zone remains one of the most ‘stagnated’ footballing regions on the well apportioned African block.

Comparisons with the rest of the regions in terms of competitions’ progress, technical expertise, infrastructural development, sponsorship endorsements and eventual rankings to say the least could be a complete mismatch.

One virtually struggles to compare the region’s progress vis-à-vis developmental aspects of the game as with the rest of the continent.

Upon that background, 7 out of the 11 federation heads that make up the CECAFA footballing region convened in Kampala on Wednesday, 19^th April 2017 to brain storm about the hiccups of their binding association.

With the exception of the body’s president Mutasim Gafaar of Sudan, Abdiqani Said Arab (Somalia), Alei Ghabur Goc (South Sudan), Souleiman Hassan Waberi (Djibouti) as well as the long serving Secretary General, Nicholas Musonye (Kenya), the rest of the F.A presidents from Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Zanzibar and host Uganda called for the crisis meeting embedded as ‘a brain storming platform’.

Moses Magogo, the host F.A boss chaired the four hour’s closed door meeting held at the FUFA headquarters board in Mengo, Kampala.

“As a region, we met to resolve the encumbrances to the development of football development in our CECAFA region. CECAFA needs to be cleansed with better organized competitions, a well-recognized permanent home, an amended constitution, a re-branded entity with fair representation on the CAF Executive Committee,” Magogo told the media during a press conference after the meeting.

Tanzania’ federation president Jamal Malinzi was impressed by the step undertaken by the members who graced the meeting.

This brain storming meeting is a great stride taken in the right direction for the development of football in the CECAFA region. There is nothing we have done in secrecy.

This is all for a true football spirit and we are to share the resolutions with CAF and FIFA.

A rather assertive Juneidi Tilmos, the Ethiopia Football Association boss decried the rate and manner at which the CECAFA body is been run.

Since 2016, CECAFA region has had only one competition of the women organized at  the FUFA Technical  found in Njeru, Uganda.

We are missing competitions.

The technical part of the association is underwhelming yet this is the heart of football anywhere. We have started today and we vow to continue.

Tilmos’ sentiments were equally shared by the Kenyan counterpart, Nicholas ‘Nick’ Mwendwa.

Mwendwa believes the current crop of leaders right from the top management at FIFA to CAF is one of new ideas, perfecting new methodologies.

Obviously, there is change right from FIFA, CAF to our own region.

It should not be new leadership but rather one with new ideas of executing work tasks

Rwanda’s Vincent Nzamwita sang special praise of Magogo and wished him fruitful deliberations in the up-coming FUFA polls.

FUFA is very organized and we thank Magogo for the great work he is doing here.

We wish him success in the up-coming elections so that he can carry on the good work.

Nzamwita also explained about the hitches that have been barring the progress of the CECAFA Kagame Clubs Cup.

Burundi’s Speaker of Parliament, who also doubles as the F.A boss Hon. Ndikuniyo Reverien (Burundi) as well as Ravia Faina from CAF’s newly approved member nation Zanzibar were also present at the meeting.

South Sudan, Sudan, Eritrea and Djibouti missed the meeting with apologies.

At the end of the day, the F.A Presidents came up with a 9 point resolution programme.

The resolutions;

1. CECAFA constitution amendment
2. Called for an urgent CECAFA Congress
3. Called for permanent headquarters for CECAFA body
4. Improvement on all CECAFA competitions with emphasis on the youth events (U-15, U-17 girls and U-20), clubs, national teams, women and beach soccer.
5. Improvement on the technical aspects of the game in terms of refereeing, coaching, sports administration, medical.
6. Ensure a fully re-branded CECAFA to improve marketing and communication of CECAFA.
7. Present a proposal to submit an official bid to host the Africa Nations Cup finals in the near future.
8. Come up with a proposal to fund the headquarters of CECAFA.
9. Lobby for representation of CECAFA on CAF Executive committee.