Uganda Football Academies attain key benchmark guidelines

Football academies are nurseries and the bedrock of the main stream game.

Across the divide via all the world’s continents, academy football is given key priority and special care, emphasis and consideration in a bid to ensure continuity as well as the smooth running of the game.

It is upon this firm background that Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) through its top governing arm, the Executive passed on key regulations concerning the licensing procedure of the respective football academies.

These regulations will need to be followed to the dot for all registered football academies in Uganda.

This was part of the agenda for the 22^nd FUFA Executive Committee meeting which convened on Friday, 13^th March 2020 at the FUFA Complex board room of the Executive House.

Action between Everton Uganda Academy and Big Talent Soccer School

FUFA Executive committee decided that there will be five key areas on which the grading of the academies will be made in line with attaining club licensing standards in the sectors of Governance, Sporting, finance, Infrastructure & equipment as well as personnel and administration.
FUFA Website

L-R: Shafik Male, Sula Ssekamatte (father) with Faizo Nsereko, another brother to Male. Parents have to consent before their children are admitted to academies Credit: © Kawowo Sports | DAVID ISABIRYE

Governance:

Under Governance, academies will be required to clearly define ownership either by individuals or in terms of affiliation to different clubs (Uganda Premier League, FUFA Big Legaue or any other club) as provided by the FUFA structures.

The parents’ forum will also give a requirement as it is aimed at identifying the parents/ guardians of the players in the football academies.

Entebbe Five Stars head coach Shafik Kakooza hands over a ball to U-11 captain Barnabas Junior. Coaches like Kakooza must all have qualifications

Sporting:

In this category, FUFA dictates that coaches working with football academies must have at least the minimum coaching standards under the different coaching levels in Uganda as FUFA Beginners, CAF D (Former FUFA Level I/ FUFA Level D), CAF C, CAF B, CAF A and CAF Pro.

Also, the players in these football academies must have agreements. This is aimed at having binding documents between players and academies. In addition, all players in academies must have parents’/ guardians’ consent to be able to play. Academies shall reveal other education programmes if any and must show affiliation to any club either locally or internationally.

Personnel and Administration:

Football Academies will be required to present permanent location and offices as well as profiles and records of the academies.

Finance:

Football Academies will be required to present their financial records, budget lines and policies in regard to how they handle their finances. Relatedly, for the academies that charge money from the players, the amounts must be made known.

Entebbe Soccer Academy players train at Works play ground. The right field, equipment such as jerseys, boots and balls have to be used

Infrastructure and Equipment:

Ownership of pitches either by purchase or hire must be presented by all football academies in Uganda. Training kits and equipment used by the players must be of standard in regard to the different age categories.

For starters, Uganda has at least over 400 academies. Only a handful are registered with FUFA.