FUFA President Hon. Magogo Moses Hassim has hailed the Uganda U-17 Men’s National Team for their historic achievement after the Cubs secured qualification to the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026.
Uganda earned qualification after edging Ghana 8-7 in a dramatic penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw, becoming one of only six African nations to qualify for the tournament back-to-back.
Speaking during the official welcome dinner held in honour of the team, Hon. Magogo described the achievement as proof that Uganda’s vision of becoming one of Africa’s leading football nations is achievable.
Uganda among Africa’s elite
Hon. Magogo noted that Uganda’s back-to-back qualification places the country among Africa’s strongest youth football nations.
‘Uganda is among the six countries that have qualified to the Under-17 World Cup back-to-back. It is only Egypt, Mali, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal and Uganda that have made it back-to-back. So we can believe,’ he said.
He added that the success was not accidental but the result of deliberate long-term planning by FUFA.
Youth football structures bearing fruit
The FUFA President highlighted the federation’s youth football programmes as the foundation behind the Cubs’ success.
He traced the journey back to the introduction of the FUFA Juniors League in 2015 before the launch of the Odilo primary schools football programme in 2018 and later the FUFA TV Cup.
According to Hon. Magogo, the competitions were designed to widen the talent identification network across the country and create opportunities for young players. He revealed that players such as Owino John Brian and Inshirah Mahyoub are products of the FUFA TV Cup initiative.
‘The things we do are intentional, planned and have an objective of where we are going,’ he stated.
Technical master plan driving development
Hon. Magogo described the FUFA Technical Master Plan as the federation’s guiding framework for football development in Uganda. He explained that the programme is built on four key pillars including talent identification, structured player development, elite training pathways and player welfare.
FUFA currently has scouts operating in 46 districts across Uganda with a responsibility to identify talented players aged 11 years and below.
The federation has also licensed 67 academies and established Schools of Excellence partnerships across the country to support the development of identified talent.
The schools include St Charles Lwanga Koboko, St Joseph’s College Layibi, St Kagwa Bushenyi, Kabalega Secondary School, Kibuli Secondary School, Standard High School Zzana, Jinja Secondary School and Bukedea Comprehensive School.
Hon. Magogo also announced plans to officially open the National Football Academy in August to bring together the country’s best young players.
Praise for coaches and former players
The FUFA President commended Uganda U-17 Head Coach Laryea Kingston for the quality of football displayed by the team throughout the campaign.
