The issue of academy regulations was approved in the 22nd FUFA Executive Committee meeting which was held in March this year.
According to FUFA (Federation of Uganda Football Associations), the five key areas in regard to academy regulations are; governance, sporting, personnel and administration, finance plus infrastructure and equipment.
FUFA President Eng. Moses Magogo while addressing the 13th UYFA (Uganda Youth Football Association) Annual General Assembly on Thursday 17th, September 2020 at Kenendia Hotel in Katwe justified the need to regulate academies in Uganda.
“We are not bringing the regulations to make your work difficult but to make things very transparent,” Magogo told the UYFA AGM delegates.
“Among others, we want to protect you! We want to have a register of all junior players in Uganda so that we build a national data base, this can prevent age cheating in the future,” Magogo said adding that they want to do things in alignment with international academy regulations.
However, Magogo has heaped praise on UYFA and its members for their positive response in regard to the matter saying that he is impressed with their level of professionalism though he calls for better.
“We are not at this level by accident but by strategy. This is not where we want to be, we want to be number one in East Africa at all levels, on and off the pitch! Therefore, if you have an academy, you must do what FUFA is doing,” Magogo said adding that youth football is the future of the game.
UYFA Chairperson John Bosco Masiko revealed to the delegates that academy registration fee has been revised from 50,000 Shillings to 100,000 Shillings while affiliation is at 100,000 Shillings.
However, he also urged academies to submit their reports regularly to enable people know what is happening at the lower level.
“Football tomorrow depends on what we do today at a lower level,” Masiko said before lauding FUFA for the Covid-19 fund.
The mandate of UYFA is to register football academies allover the country. Having finished registration, the academy will seek for a license from FUFA, this license expires within two years.
Academies that may not have fulfilled FUFA requirements for operation may get a provisional license from UYFA if they are in the right path.