The government of Uganda has officially committed to a major overhaul of the Uganda Cranes’ welfare and logistical support to elevate the team’s standards ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Pamoja.
Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) president Moses Magogo announced the breakthrough on Monday, September 21, 2026, during a media briefing at the FUFA Stadium Kadiba. The sweeping changes are aimed at boosting morale as Uganda prepares to co-host Africa’s biggest football tournament next year alongside Kenya and Tanzania.
Premium Upgrades to Team Welfare
To improve the team’s professional standards, the government will fund several immediate logistical and financial upgrades:
- Business Class Travel: Foreign-based players flying for more than four hours will now travel business class.
- Chartered Flights: The team will utilize chartered flights for back-to-back fixtures whenever necessary to minimize travel fatigue.
- Luxury Accommodation: The Cranes will camp in five-star hotels both locally and abroad whenever possible.
- New Assets & Bonuses: The government will purchase a brand-new team bus and implement significantly improved bonuses and allowances.
Financial Windfall for AFCON 2025 Squad
In addition to future commitments, Magogo confirmed that the government will clear outstanding rewards for the historic qualification campaign.
Players who featured in the AFCON 2025 qualifiers will receive a pro-rata qualification bonus of $10,000 (approximately UGX 40 million) each.
Stadium and Infrastructure Boom
Magogo highly commended the state’s ongoing investments in sports infrastructure, noting that the 2027 tournament will leave Uganda with three international-standard stadiums:
- Mandela National Stadium, Namboole
- Akii-Bua Stadium in Lira
- Hoima City Stadium in Hoima
Beyond these main venues, multiple training facilities are being built within the Northern Uganda, Hoima, and Namboole clusters.
FUFA is also actively lobbying the government to expand infrastructure development to Mbarara, Fort Portal, Jinja, Mbale, and West Nile, with the ultimate goal of ensuring a Uganda Premier League-standard facility is available in all 18 provinces.
