The Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) President, Hon. Magogo Moses Hassim, today congratulated the Uganda U17 national team on their remarkable achievement over the weekend -punching their ticket to the 2025 FIFA World Cup Tournament in Qatar.
The Uganda national U17 football team, the Cubs, achieved a historic milestone by qualifying for the FIFA World Cup tournament. Their qualification came after a thrilling 2-1 victory over Gambia on Saturday at Stade El Abdi in El Gidada, Morocco.
Despite an early setback that saw Ahmed Njundu Kanyi give the Baby Scorpions the lead in the first minute, the Cubs showed resilience. James Bogere emerged as the hero, scoring twice in the 13th and 33rd minutes to secure Uganda’s place in the Qatar 2025 World Cup.
In a statement shared on social media, Hon. Magogo Moses Hassim, lauded the players and coaching staff, emphasizing that this success was a result of deliberate long-term strategies implemented by FUFA.
“FUFA has been intentional with Youth Football since 2015. Congratulations to the coaches and the gallant boys for the qualification to the U17 FIFA World Cup. It is one thing to plan. It is another thing to see the progress and tangible fruits of the plans,” Hon. Magogo stated.
He highlighted FUFA’s strategic focus on youth football since 2015, asserting that the World Cup qualification is a key indicator of the progress made through these intentional efforts.
Hon. Magogo outlined a series of intentional decisions and achievements in youth football under his leadership:
FUFA’s Intentional Decisions and Youth Development Achievements Since 2015:
* Strategic Shift (2015): FUFA initiated a deliberate strategy to compete effectively at youth levels in CECAFA, Africa, and globally.
* Grassroots Development: The establishment of the FUFA Juniors League U17 in 2015, coupled with support from schools through initiatives like Odilo (launched in 2019) and the FUFA TV Cup (2023), laid a strong foundation for youth development. Notably, Mukwala Steven, who played for Edgars Youth Programme, was the league’s top scorer in its inaugural year and now plays professionally for Simba in Tanzania.
* International Exposure: National youth teams (U15, U17) began participating in international competitions, providing crucial experience for young talents. Players like Lukyamuzi Ashraf, Langol Joseph, Ogema Thomas, Wanyama Simon, Okello Richard, and Owino John Brian were part of the U15 national team in 2023.
* Academies and Talent Identification: FUFA identified schools of football excellence to further youth football projects, aiming to provide opportunities for all young players. Several players who competed in the Odilo tournament, such as Langol Joseph and Simon Wanyama (who scored against Tanzania), are now part of the U17 World Cup qualifying squad.
* Dedicated Personnel: Before 2013, FUFA lacked a full-time employee dedicated to youth football. This changed in 2015 with the appointment of Mutyaba as the Youth Football Development Manager, a role that evolved into Elite Football Development Manager under the Technical Master Plan.
* Regional Tournaments: Players like Okello Richard gained valuable experience through participation in tournaments like the CECAFA U15 held at the FUFA Technical Centre, Njeru.
* CAF Pan Africa Schools Championships: Ugandan schools have actively participated in the CAF Pan Africa Schools championships, an initiative under the Mostepe Foundation (of the CAF President). Players like Mukwanga Adrian, Mubiru Trevor, Kyakuwa Ashiraf, and Ogema Thomas, all part of the current U17 team, have competed at national, zonal, and continental levels in these championships.
* Player Development Regulations: FUFA introduced youth player regulations, including double licenses, allowing young players to gain experience in both senior (Uganda Premier League, Big League) and youth competitions.
* Advocacy for Regional Qualification: Hon. Magogo, as a CAF Executive member, advocated for regional underage qualifications, creating more opportunities for Uganda and other CECAFA nations.
* Technical Master Plan (TMP): Introduced in 2024, the FUFA Technical Master Plan aims to further enhance the elite player development pathway, from talent identification to professional development. Notably, FIFA is currently studying the TMP for potential worldwide implementation.
* Transition to Senior Level: Several players who have come through the junior leagues and national youth teams, including Kenneth Semakula, Gavin Kizito, Bobosi Byaruhanga, Travis Mutyaba, Rogers Mato, Azizi Kayondo, and Shaban Mhamamed, are now part of the senior national team, the Uganda Cranes.
* Football Development Department (2018): FUFA established a dedicated Football Development Department in 2018 to further streamline youth development efforts.
* Embracing Youth Programs: Despite initial resistance, clubs eventually embraced the FUFA Youth football programs, recognizing their importance in player development.
Achievements in Men’s Youth Football:
The intentional focus on youth development has yielded significant results, including:
* FIFA U17 World Cup Qualification (2025)
* AFCON U20 Runners-up (2021)
* AFCON U17 Qualification (2021 – Tournament Cancelled due to COVID-19)
* Three-time CECAFA U17 Champions
* CECAFA U18 Champions
* CAF/CECAFA U20 Zonal Qualifiers Champions
* CECAFA U15 Champions (2015)
* CECAFA U15 Silver Medalist.
Hon. Magogo acknowledged the crucial support from various stakeholders in achieving these milestones. “For us to be able to achieve all this, we have been fully supported by the government of the Republic of Uganda, football clubs, schools, parents, academies and many other stakeholders,” he said.
The qualification of the U17 Cubs for the FIFA World Cup marks a significant moment for Ugandan football and underscores the success of FUFA’s long-term investment in youth development.
