Futsal association of Uganda (FAU) leadership is targeting qualification to the 2024 Africa Cup of nations in Morocco next year after attaining FUFA full membership.
FAU was confirmed a full FUFA member late last month during the federation’s annual general assembly in Adjumani district. According to FAU chairman Hamza Jjunju, they will sit with FUFA football development director Ali Mwebe to draw a unified strategy in with qualification to 2024 AFCON as the priority.
“To achieve that, the association is giving priority to increased participation (players, coaches and fans), introducing the game to schools, capacity building for referees, coaches and administrators and organizing international friendly matches with established nations like record three-time African winners Egypt, South Africa, Zambia and East African countries,” explained Jjunju, who sees need and urgency to decentralize the game and take it to all eight FUFA regions with the help of the respective regional offices.
“We can’t grow the game in Kampala alone; we have to spread it to the FUFA regions. We shall meet the regional leaders and convince them to identify a coordinator for the game in the regions. The biggest challenge will be lack of facilities but for the start, we shall use indoor halls and different turfs like the FUFA Technical centre in Njeru. This will help us teach the basics to players, coaches and referees for the start,” adds Jjunju. Unlike Beach soccer, Futsal body is ready to go for double registration of players from the premier football competitions.
“We believe that the country has a lot of talent. For us to grow at a faster rate, we have a regulation that allows registration of players from StarTimes Uganda Premier and StarTimes FUFA Big leagues. We are trying to have as many raw talents as possible,” he added.
Jjunju, who is also the Express FC Chief Executive Officer (CEO), works with an Executive committee of five people that has himself as the chairman, Richard Nandigobe as the Vice-chairman, Stella Gokyalya and Gulam Ssenyondo representing the clubs while Omar Mulangira represents the Somali community that are a core part of the association. The five-person committee is operating on an interim basis.
