FUFA President Hon. Magogo Moses Hassim officially launched the FUFA Academies League and described the new competition as an important step in strengthening the development pathway for young footballers in Uganda, with support from the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS).
Speaking at the launch, Hon. Magogo Moses Hassim explained that the initiative aligns with the federation’s Technical Master Plan, a comprehensive framework that guides the full development cycle of football players from early talent identification to elite performance.
‘The Federation of Uganda Football Associations took a very ambitious project called the Technical Master Plan. It has many pillars and activities but in summary it focuses on the life cycle of a player, starting with talent identification where we are working with FIFA under the Talent Development Scheme,’ he said.
He emphasised that once talent is identified, FUFA must deliberately guide players through an elite development pathway.
‘After identification of talent, which is a very important phase, you go into elite path development. For you to get a top professional we must be intentional in the things we do,’ he added.
The FUFA President highlighted that the most critical period for talent identification occurs between the ages of nine and eleven. At that stage, identified players progress through recognised football schools and licensed academies.
Hon. Magogo Moses Hassim further explained that FUFA already implemented measures to regulate the operation of football academies in line with the National Sports Act.
‘It is no longer free. It is now illegal to operate an academy or a group of children without a licence from the National Council of Sports and you cannot obtain that licence without the approval of FUFA,’ he said.
FUFA also introduced a grading system for academies to ensure quality standards in youth development. Grade One represents the National Football Academy, which FUFA will relaunch as part of the Technical Master Plan. Grade Two academies mainly operate at professional clubs and qualified private institutions. Grade Three academies operate largely at the regional level and include schools of excellence.