FUFA President Moses Magogo has assured Ugandans that preparations for the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN) are on track, with key infrastructure upgrades nearing completion.
Uganda is set to co-host the tournament with Kenya and Tanzania from August 2-30, 2025, and Magogo expressed confidence in the progress made so far, particularly at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, which will be the primary host venue.
“I think we’re doing well in as far as the competition’s venue is concerned, and the training facility at the stadium,” Magogo stated.
Besides Namboole, other training venues are being prepared, including the Kyambogo University Stadium, FUFA Stadium in Kadiba, and Muteesa II Stadium, Wankulukuku.
Magogo acknowledged that while work at Kadiba is almost complete, Kyambogo and Wankulukuku still require improvements.
“We still have work to do in Kyambogo, but we are within time. At Kadiba, there is a lot of work that has been done, and we’re almost there,” he said.
“For Wankulukuku, we have a little bit of things to do, we accept, but we’re working hard to make sure that we also have that venue ready.”
Magogo also used the opportunity to advocate for the installation of floodlights at Wankulukuku, highlighting the long-term benefits of night football for the Uganda Premier League.
“We are asking that if we could get the floodlights there as well, so that it is also used at night for CHAN,” he explained.
“Having Wankulukuku hosting night football leaves a good legacy out of these competitions we’re hosting.”
The CHAN tournament was initially scheduled for February 2025 but was postponed to August.
Magogo admitted that Uganda was not fully ready to host it earlier and that the rescheduling has given the country much-needed time to finalise preparations.
“We have benefited from the postponement of CHAN. As Uganda, we could barely have been ready,” he admitted.
“Postponing the tournament also gives us more time to mobilize the country to be part of the competition. That’s the area we had not done well, and we’re going to benefit from the postponement.”
