The Federation of Uganda Football Associations has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with 11 schools to launch its Schools of Excellence Programme, formalising a nationwide structure aimed at strengthening grassroots football development.
The agreements were confirmed during a signing ceremony held on April 15 at the FUFA Complex in Mengo, where head teachers from the selected institutions committed to the programme’s long-term objectives. Each school received 10 footballs as part of the initial support package.
The initiative forms part of FUFA’s Technical Master Plan and is designed to create a structured pathway for talent identification and elite player development within the education system. The federation will provide technical staff, equipment and training kits, while schools will offer bursaries to players.
FUFA President Moses Magogo said the programme has been in planning for a decade and marks a key step in aligning football development with education. “We have been thinking about this programme for the last ten years. It has been on our to-do list, but for some reason we had not reached the level we are at today,” he said.
Magogo added that the selected institutions will also be certified as Grade Three academies to meet regulatory requirements for organised football training. “Our strategy is that the Schools of Excellence will also receive certification as Grade Three academies. Under Ugandan law, to teach football, you must have that academy licence,” he said.
Under the arrangement, FUFA will also take on welfare responsibilities for enrolled players, including scholastic materials. “Once these students are enrolled, FUFA will take responsibility for their scholastic materials. Essentially, the federation will act like a parent,” Magogo added.
Eight schools have been selected to run the boys’ programme across the country’s regions, though the representative for Kitara Region is yet to be confirmed. The confirmed schools include Jinja SS (Eastern), Kibuli SS (Kampala), St Joseph’s College Layibi (Northern), St Kagwa Bushenyi High School (Western), St Charles Lwanga Koboko (West Nile), Standard High School Ndejje Campus (Buganda) and Bukedea Comprehensive School (North East).
For the girls’ programme, four schools will each cover two regions: Bishop Comboni College Kambuga (Western and Kitara), Amus College (North East and Eastern), Hopeful Future Secondary School (Buganda and Kampala), and Wisdom High School Akalo (Northern and West Nile).
Bukedea Comprehensive School Managing Director Jonas Gumisiriza said the programme would ease long-standing challenges in talent identification and coaching. “We hope to benefit from FUFA’s responsibility to scout and identify talented players,” he said, adding that coach facilitation by the federation would be a major boost.
The Schools of Excellence Programme is expected to provide a clearer development pathway for young players while strengthening links between education and elite football structures across Uganda.
