FUFA will once again host two other high profile CAF sanctioned workshops which fall under the club licensing docket. According to FUFA club licensing chairman Rogers Byamukama, 52 participants 26 countries will attend the six-day workshop scheduled for April 21-26 at Sheraton hotel, Kampala.
It will be the third time Uganda is hosting CAF-sanctioned events in a space of one year and Byamyukama, together with FUFA club licensing manager Ivan Kintu Bayige, believe that this is confidence and trust CAF has in FUFA.
“After successfully hosting the CAF Junior Referees programme as well as the CAF futsal and beach soccer committee meeting, CAF has once again entrusted FUFA with yet another opportunity to host another continental workshop and we have prepared well to host the CAF Club Licencing Workshops. Hosting all these delegates across the continent is a strong message to the government that sports is a key tourism driver in Uganda. These delegates will be accommodated in Uganda and will spend and contribute foreign revenue,” noted Byamukama, Chairman FUFA Club licensing committee.
In September last year, FUFA hosted 41 participants for the CAF Young Talent Referees workshop that attracted the youngest international referees on the continent.
Earlier in the year, CAF Futsal and Beach Soccer committee held its meeting in Entebbe. And this year, the Club Licensing workshop will be segmented into two groups for two periodical sessions. Each country will send the Club Licensing Manager and Chairman of the Club Licensing Committee.
The first workshop will be held on 22nd and 23rd April and the other on 25th and 26th April. Each of the workshops will have 26 participants –two from each country. “CAF is trying to make sure football organisation spreads further to clubs at all levels by holding such educational sessions that improve the beautiful game,” Byamuka further said.
The objectives of the workshop are; to provide Federations with an update on the club licensing system at the continental level, receive a full update on the status of the club licensing system at National level, one on one meetings with Member Associations (MAs) in order to provide special attention and assist them with specific needs, assist the MAs with near future planning, in order to have clubs ready before the deadline for engagement in the next CAF Inter Club competitions, organize interaction group sessions between MAs to share best practices. Countries taking part are (22nd-23rd April) Botswana, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Uganda, Namibia, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Lesotho and Liberia. The others are (25th-26th April) Angola, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Mozambique, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The instructors of the workshop will be; Ahmed Mohamed Mohamed Mokhtar Harraz (Egypt), Sidat Muhammad Feizal (Mozambique), Dasoberi Emmanuel Newton (Ghana), Bosilong Kabelo Keorapetse Hubert (South Africa), Middleby Robert David (Australia), Abubakar Salihu (Nigeria). Club Licensing is a tool for both the development and bench-marking of professional football clubs. Under the Club Licensing System, clubs need to comply with certain criteria to participate in FUFA/CAF/FIFA competitions. The FUFA Club Licensing exercise makes sure that clubs are complying with the criteria before they are issued with licenses to play at the start of every season. By implementing the Club Licensing System football clubs ensure among others; development of a strong governance and organisational structures, implementation of stable financial management and reporting, improved technical standards of coaches and clubs, increased reliability, credibility and integrity of the clubs and league.
