Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) President, Hon. Eng. Moses Magogo, has hailed the growth of school football in Uganda, crediting the Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) for its efforts in nurturing talent.
“Since you became the president, there has been a lot of progress. These schools have immensely invested in school’s football, and they deserve this,” Magogo said while handing over buses donated by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to Royal Giant High School and Amus College at the FUFA headquarters in Mengo.
The two schools were rewarded for their outstanding performances at the 2023 CECAFA Zone Qualifiers of the CAF African Schools Football Championship in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Royal Giant clinched gold in boys’ football, while Amus College earned bronze in the girls’ category.
Commissioner of Physical Education and Sports, Rev. Canon Dr. Duncans Mugumya, emphasized the value of grassroots competitions in achieving major milestones.
“This is not a mean achievement, and we have to celebrate it. We would not have achieved the World Cup dream without school sports, and I want to thank them for the efforts towards developing talents,” he said.
USSSA President Justus Mugisha noted Uganda’s growing stature in the continental school sports arena.
“Currently, Uganda is the number one school sports nation in Africa. I want to congratulate the two schools upon this achievement. We are now celebrating regional success, but we are aiming at performing better at the continent.”
The ceremony was also attended by Royal Giant Director Benon Ntambi, who reaffirmed the school’s commitment to talent development.
“We thank the government of Uganda, USSSA, and FUFA for the efforts towards developing grassroots football. We are grateful to have had an impact on the under-17 World Cup qualification,” he said.
Amus College Headteacher Richard Olupot described the school’s journey as unexpected but rewarding.
“The road to this achievement was a surprise because we came as a replacement team. The girls gave all their best. We thank Rt. Hon. Anita Among, Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, for the support she rendered to us during this journey.”
Margret Murangi, Marketing Consultant at Isuzu Uganda, said the bus donation demonstrated CAF’s commitment to supporting schools.
“We extend our gratitude to CAF for trusting us with the opportunity to provide these two schools with high-quality, durable buses. ISUZU is proud to offer a 3-month warranty and dedicated service to ensure their satisfaction.”
