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According to documents seen by this website, the decision was among a catalogue of decisions taken at FUFA’s latest Executive Committee meeting.
The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) in a sensational move is set to withdraw its sponsorship package for clubs participating in continental competitions.
This means that FUFA will no longer meet the travel expenses for Ugandan clubs playing in either the CAF Champions League, CAF Confederation Cup, and the CECAFA Kagame Cup.
According to documents seen by this website, the decision was among a catalogue of decisions taken at FUFA’s latest Executive Committee meeting.
FUFA has been shouldering the travel costs for Ugandan representatives in continental competitions since 2019.
Under the previous arrangement, FUFA covered the expenses of economy class air travel for a maximum of 25 individuals, including 18 players and 7 officials, from Entebbe to the host country's airport.
This was facilitated by an increase in government funding towards the federation, with particularly up to UGX 10 billion funds ring fenced for the Uganda Cranes, with FUFA receiving a lion share of the annual sports budget.
Murmurs within the administrative corridors at FUFA’s headquarters in Mengo reveal that executives were disgruntled with clubs continuously showing a lack of appreciation and gratitude for the gesture from the federation.
The ramifications of this decision are yet to be determined, as it remains unclear whether the clubs that could be affected have been informed about the decision.
“We would like to bring it to your attention that FUFA will no longer meet the travel expenses for clubs for away matches during their participation in the continental competitions,” a statement said in part.
“FUFA will also provide a Leader of Delegation (LOD) who the club will cater for their expenses including travel, accommodation and any other expenses that may be involved.”
The funding provided a lifeline for clubs, enabling them to compete on the international stage and gain invaluable experience while representing Ugandan football.
However, the implications of this withdrawal of travel tickets for Ugandan clubs participating in continental competitions are far-reaching.
It remains to be seen how the clubs will respond to this unexpected turn of events and whether alternative funding sources will be secured to support their participation in the continental tournaments.
StarTimes Uganda Premier League champions, Vipers SC, had been preparing to represent the country in the prestigious CAF Champions League.
Similarly, KCCA FC, the team that finished second in the league, was a prospective candidate for the CAF Confederation Cup
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