Commencing with the 2025/2026 football season, the Uganda Premier League (UPL) will implement a new coaching standard. Only coaches possessing a CAF A License will be eligible to manage teams in the league.
This directive, according to FUFA, is aimed at professionalizing football in Uganda, ensuring that top-tier teams are led by highly qualified tacticians.
In preparation for this transition, 24 coaches successfully completed the CAF A Coaching Diploma Course on Saturday evening at FUFA Technical Centre, Njeru.
The six-month program, the first of its kind under the new CAF coaching convention, involved 240 hours of rigorous training.
Areas of study included theory of coaching, match analysis, leadership, sports science, nutrition, and media relations.
FUFA Deputy CEO-Services Humphrey Mandu, who officiated at the closing ceremony, emphasized the critical role these coaches will play in shaping the future of Ugandan football.
“At the level you have reached, football in Uganda is going to be squarely hinged on your progress,” Mandu stated. “This crop of coaches represents the future, and we are relying on you to elevate our game on and off the pitch.”
The coaches received certificates of completion during the event, marking a significant milestone in FUFA’s ongoing capacity-building efforts.
Mandu further reiterated FUFA’s commitment to supporting coaches with resources, technology, and additional training programs to achieve their technical master plan.
The class captain, Badru Kaddu of Express, expressed gratitude on behalf of his peers, thanking FUFA and its president, Hon. Moses Magogo Hassim, for bringing high-level coaching courses back to Uganda.
“We came here half full, and we are now brimming with modern football knowledge. We are ready to uplift the standards of football in this country,” Kaddu said.
Lead instructor Francis Kimanzi challenged the graduates to make meaningful contributions to football development, urging them to “remain relevant, expand on the knowledge gained, and lead by example.”
With this cohort of CAF A-licensed coaches now certified, Ugandan football is poised for a transformative leap as the UPL prepares to align with continental coaching standards.
