At the close of Uganda’s first-ever FIFA Elite Youth Coaching and Goalkeeping Courses, FUFA Executive Secretary of Football Development, Ronnie Kalema, issued a powerful charge to local coaches to transform Uganda’s footballing future.
Speaking during the closing ceremony at the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru, Kalema emphasized the need for immediate and practical application of the knowledge acquired during the intensive week-long training.
“It is our game. It is our country. We want you to create the change we want to see,” Kalema said, calling on the 48 participants—comprising national youth team coaches and representatives from FUFA’s eight regional footballing zones—to become ambassadors of modern football development.
Kalema praised FIFA and the team of six international technical experts who facilitated the course.
The instructors included England’s Callum James Christopher Irving, Greece’s Christos Kanelleas, Argentina’s Alejandro Alfredo Heredia, Belgium’s Adel Amorouche, South Africa’s Cameron Euston Cox, and the UK’s Simon Paul Jennings.
They covered a wide curriculum ranging from individual player development to modern football trends.
With Uganda seeking to become the leading footballing nation on the continent, Kalema noted that youth coaching is central to FUFA’s long-term vision, as outlined in its Technical Master Plan.
“We are counting on you to replicate these standards across our academies, schools, and clubs,” he added.
Participants of the course are expected to assume key roles in regional elite youth development centres.
The training is part of FUFA’s broader effort to streamline football development, following the earlier training of 311 FUFA Grade 4 scouts who identified over 1,300 talented players now recorded in the federation’s Talent ID system.
Kalema closed with a call to action: “Please utilise the knowledge you have acquired and implement what you have learned.”
