The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) has intensified efforts to improve youth football development across the country by conducting specialised coaching courses under the FIFA Talent Development Scheme.
The week-long courses, which began on June 2 at the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru, have brought together 68 participants from football academies and youth football structures across Uganda. The training is scheduled to conclude on June 7 and forms part of FUFA’s wider strategy to strengthen technical expertise at grassroots level.
The programme includes three specialised courses covering youth coaching, youth conditioning and youth goalkeeping coaching. The Youth Coaching Course has attracted the highest number of participants with 35 attendees, while 20 are enrolled in the Youth Conditioning Course and 13 in the Youth Goalkeeping Coaching Course.
According to FUFA, the initiative is being delivered under the FUFA Technical Master Plan and is aimed at enhancing the quality of coaching and player development within the country’s youth football system. Of the 68 participants, 64 are male and four are female.
The courses are being facilitated by experienced instructors, with Bashir Mutyaba and Ben Mwesigwa leading the Youth Coaching Course. Félix Ayobo is conducting the Youth Conditioning Course, while Ibrahim Mugisha is overseeing the Youth Goalkeeping Coaching Course.
FUFA has made coach education a key requirement for academies competing in its youth competitions. Registered football academies are required to have at least one FUFA-certified technical staff member in youth coaching, youth conditioning and youth goalkeeping coaching. The requirement applies to academies participating in competitions such as the FUFA Juniors’ League, FUFA Schools of Excellence and the FUFA Academies League.
The federation has also stipulated that only coaches who have successfully completed the relevant training and certification programmes are permitted to conduct training sessions and manage teams in these competitions.
Conducted on a 40-hour full-time residential basis, the specialised courses are designed to equip participants with modern knowledge and practical skills needed to nurture young footballers in line with both national and international standards.
The latest training initiative comes as FUFA continues to invest heavily in youth development structures, viewing coach education as a critical pillar in building a stronger talent pipeline for the future of Ugandan football.
