Launch, Draws Set Stage For 2022 UYFA National Championship.
Date: Tuesday 16th, August 2022.
Host: Nkoma Secondary School, Mbale.
The Uganda Youth Football Association (UYFA) National Championship launch and draws were conducted on Thursday 11th, August 2022 at FUFA House, Mengo.
With the launch and group drawing complete, the stage is now set for the championship which will be hosted at Nkoma Secondary School in Mbale District, Eastern Uganda.
Twenty five (25) academies in the Boys category have been drawn in six (6) groups, with five (5) groups made up of four (4) teams each, while the remaining one (1) group consists of five (5) teams.
On the other hand, eight (8) teams in Girls category have been pitted in two (2) groups of four (4) teams each.
The ceremony was graced by FUFA Executive Committee Member in charge of Marketing and Sponsorship, Mr Rogers Byamukama.
“I would like to congratulate the Chairman UYFA, the Executive Committee members, and the staff for this U13 inaugural National Championship for Boys and Girls,” Byamukama said.
“As you are all aware, the strategic plan for football in this country for the next five years from now from the federation (FUFA) is about the ‘hattrick’, and one of the beginners of the hattrick is taking the game of football to every homestead. Practically, that means grassroot football, and you can not talk about grassroot football without talking about youth football,” Byamukama added.
“Youth football is an integral part of our development strategic plan, and I am excited that UYFA is launching the inaugural U13 National Championship for Boys and Girls, and we intend to also launch an U15 league for the Boys,” Byamukama stated in his remarks.
“As FUFA, we are committed to support, and without putting your efforts to waste, we will continue registering our National teams from youth competitions, whether for regional (CECAFA), CAF or FIFA competitions,” Byamukama promised.
“When organizing football, there are three attributes you must be able to address, that is, infrastructure, equipment, and without competitions, your effort is useless. The federation (FUFA) is ready, and will provide standard quality balls which will be used in Mbale,” Byamukama concluded.
Also present at the launching and drawing ceremony was Mr Ronnie Kalema, the Chairman Football Development Committee, who thanked the UYFA Chairman and the Executive Committee for the efforts to have the competition in place.
“To fulfill the mandate of the FUFA President, Executive Committee and other football stakeholders of extending football to all homesteads, UYFA has come up with strategies to make sure we have mass youth football competitions around the country,” Mr Roberts Kiwanuka, Chairman UYFA stated.
“We want to create a safe environment for all children which is under the safeguard policy, because if we don’t have children safe in football, parents are not going to encourage their kids to participate in the game,” Mr Kiwanuka added.
As per the program, teams are supposed to arrive at Nkoma SS on Tuesday 16th, August 2022, while the pitch activities kick off on Wednesday 17th, August in Mbale.
The 2022 UYFA National Championship started in April with the qualifiers, and ninety six (96) academies competed in the Boys category, with only twenty five (25) progressing to the final championship.
In the Girls category, all the eight (8) teams were invited from the registered member academies.
GROUPS (Boys):
Group A: Msingi Soccer Academy, Super Heroes, The Lion Sports Academy, Soroti Eagles Soccer Academy, Kick It Soccer Academy.
Group B: Garuga Soccer Academy, K.S Sparta 09, Alfa Football Academy, Paorinher.
Group C: Five Stars Entebbe, KAYDA Sports Academy, Pesti Football Academy, Superior Soccer Academy.
Group D: Buwate Soccer Academy, Twinbrook Sports Academy, Sky Sports Club Academy, El Cambio Academy.
Group E: Spot the Talent, Kampala Junior Team, YES Sports Academy, Destiny Soccer Academy.
Group F: Della Torre Academy, Youth Sport Uganda, Excel Athletes Academy, Kasese Bronken.
GROUPS (Girls):
Group A: Kampala Junior Team, Azteks Soccer Academy, CBI Sports Academy, Sky Sports Club Academy.
Group B: Nsambya Young Stars Academy, Talent Platform Academy, Raising Stars Soccer Academy, Prime View Primary School.