The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) is stepping up its game in youth development, and the results are already turning heads.
Since launching its ambitious Talent Identification Framework under the 2023 Technical Master Plan, FUFA has scouted 641 young footballers across three regions, setting the stage for a new era in Ugandan football.
With eyes fixed on becoming Africa’s football powerhouse, FUFA is building from the ground up. The Talent ID Framework, inspired by FIFA’s Talent Development Schemes and supported by Arsène Wenger’s High-Performance Unit, is designed to catch raw talent early and give every child a shot at elite football.
The process kicked off in Soroti City (North East), rolled through Lira (Northern Region), and most recently landed in Iganga (Eastern Region). In each location, young players were taken through rigorous trials overseen by scouts trained specifically for this task last October.
So far, 641 kids have been assessed. Here’s how it breaks down:
- North East Region: Out of 239 players, 70 were selected. Boys dominated the U12 to U15+ brackets, while three U14 girls made the cut.
- Northern Region: 165 players went through the process. Scouts picked 69, including 30 girls — the highest number of female selections so far.
- Eastern Region: From 232 assessed, 76 were selected, with 29 U14 girls showing serious promise.
Once identified, players are uploaded to a national online portal, then considered for Regional Centres of Football Excellence. The most exceptional move on to the National Football Academy, where Uganda’s football stars of tomorrow will be molded.
Jerome Katende, FUFA’s Chief Scout, is upbeat about what’s ahead.
“We’ve covered three regions so far, and the talent is impressive. I believe we’ll find some real gems by the time we wrap this up across the country,” he said.
The next stop is Kampala Region, with trials set for this weekend at Old Kampala Secondary School. After that, FUFA heads west — to the Western, West Nile, Buganda, and Kitara regions — to complete its countrywide talent search.
FUFA Executive Committee members Dan Obote and Richard Ochom also praised the programme, calling it a major stride in building sustainable football structures.
