The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA), in partnership with FIFA, is hosting a groundbreaking five-day double-header of elite youth football coaching courses at the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru, concluding on Thursday, May 23, 2025.
Organised under FIFA’s Talent Development Scheme, the courses aim to strengthen elite youth football coaching in Uganda.
The initiative marks the first time FIFA has staged two simultaneous elite-level training programs — one focused on general youth coaching and the other on youth goalkeeping — in a single host nation.
A total of 48 coaches are participating, equally split between the two streams. Participants include national youth team coaches and selected representatives from FUFA’s eight regional zones.
The courses are part of FUFA’s long-term Technical Master Plan (TMP) 2023–2030, which seeks to nurture elite football talent across the country.
FUFA Executive Committee Member Ronnie Kalema, representing FUFA President Eng. Moses Magogo at the opening, emphasized the importance of capacity building in line with FUFA’s broader vision.
“Our vision is to become the best footballing nation on and off the pitch in Africa,” Kalema stated. “You can’t aspire to be number one if you don’t do things that number ones do. That’s why I am not surprised that these courses are starting from Uganda.”
Kalema also highlighted Uganda’s goal of achieving excellence both through players and technical staff.
“On the pitch, our aspiration is to win the FIFA World Cup, and off the pitch, it’s to have coaches capable of representing Uganda at that level. Even if our team is not at the World Cup, a Ugandan goalkeeping coach or technical expert should be there,” he added.
Kalema reiterated the key pillars of the TMP, including talent identification, creating professional player pathways, and developing mass football across all regions. He noted that the elite training will equip coaches to foster youth development within structured professional environments at both club and national levels.
Leading the training are six FIFA technical experts, headed by Callum James Christopher Irving, FIFA’s Lead for High-Performance Learning and Exchange. The team also includes Christos Kanelleas (Greece), Alejandro Alfredo Heredia (Argentina), Adel Amorouche (Belgium), Cameron Euston Cox (South Africa), and Simon Paul Jennings (United Kingdom).
Upon conclusion of the program, graduates are expected to play central roles in Uganda’s elite youth development structures, with the goal of elevating the country’s competitive edge on the global stage.
