The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) took part in a FIFA Talent Identification Education Workshop held in Rabat, Morocco from April 3 to 5, 2026, with Talent ID and Scouting Officer Jerome Katende representing Uganda.
The three-day workshop, organised by FIFA, brought together Talent Identification leads from selected Member Associations across Africa and Asia. It focused on strengthening national scouting systems and aligning them with the FIFA Talent Development Scheme.
The programme aimed to build a shared understanding of talent identification, support the creation of national structures, and equip participants with tools to design and run scouting activities. It also highlighted the importance of sustainable systems for tracking, reporting and planning talent identification work.
Sessions followed the FIFA Talent Development framework, which centres on identifying, training and creating playing opportunities for players. Participants progressed through three stages covering strategic foundations, practical delivery, and long-term organisation and sustainability.
Before the workshop, attendees joined a preparatory webinar on March 26, where each association presented its current talent identification structures, strengths and challenges.
Day one in Rabat focused on strategy, including understanding the global framework, defining roles and building national systems. Uganda was among the associations featured in case studies and knowledge exchange sessions.
The second day shifted to practical delivery, with sessions on organising talent identification events, player profiling and scouting methods. Participants also took part in simulations to apply the concepts in real scenarios.
The final day addressed sustainability, including integrating talent identification into national development pathways and improving reporting structures. Each participant left with a 90-day action plan to guide implementation in their home association.
Katende welcomed the outcomes of the workshop, saying: “It went so well, and there was a lot to learn. The key takeaways were that Heads of Talent Identification are empowered to lead all activities, with decision making fully entrusted to them. We were also taken through the process of designing and preparing Talent Identification events.”
Other countries represented at the workshop included Bahrain, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, India, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Tanzania and the UAE.
