Last week, Fufa president Moses Magogo suggested that Uganda should bid to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
The statement stirred the media and some were quick to project the benefits Uganda stands to get if it hosted the tournament. Magogo reasons from his experience in Gabon that Uganda has the necessary infrastructure to make the Afcon a success, especially for the visiting teams and fans.
On paper, this is a bold aspiration that every football stakeholder needs to consider. Unfortunately, this is all rhetoric and Magogo could perhaps have aimed to put gloss on Uganda’s early exit from the Nations Cup.
Magogo’s dream is just eight years away but can anyone imagine Uganda hosting the showpiece with 15 other countries on the continent?
Ideally, we can achieve it if there is a will. However, a will of such magnitude was last seen in the seventies. Since then, sports has been on the periphery when it comes to national priorities and I doubt whether Caf, the continent’s football body, can even entertain a Ugandan bid.
CAN UGANDA REALLY HOST THE NATIONS CUP?
For starters, the country may need at least three more stadiums at the level of Namboole. That is in itself a long stretch. Even if the likes of Bugembe and Mbale Municipal stadiums were to be refurbished, they would be too small to host such high-profile games.
I skipped Nakivubo stadium because I know it will be extinct by 2025. Unfortunately, Fufa has also done little to decry the continued dilapidation and grabbing of sports facilities.
Meanwhile, you only have to look at the rotation of the recent tournament hosts to understand why the Nations Cup is a reserve for the ‘rich’ countries and out of reach for Uganda.
Gabon/Equatorial Guinea (2012), South Africa (2013), Equatorial Guinea (2015) and Gabon (2017). This trend of hosting clearly demonstrates that it is a reserve for countries willing to throw caution to the wind by ignoring the economic impact it leaves on the host. That’s where Uganda comes short.
It is for that reason that there is even no clamouring or intense campaigning to host the tournament. That is why the oil-rich Gabon and Equatorial Guinea have hosted three of the past four editions.
Then again, this is not the first time for Fufa to have ambitions of hosting the Nations Cup. Back in 1984, the federation headed by Rwabona Kagurusi mooted the idea after a successful hosting of the Cecafa Cup that year.
It followed the revamping of Nakivubo, Mbale and Bugembe stadiums and Fufa hoped to attract the attention of government as well as Caf. However, their mission hit a dead end when Masete Kuuya, a minister and also the then National Council of Sports chairman, declared Uganda unfit to even bid for the hosting rights.
Kuuya cited the lack of proper infrastructure and poor organisational structure among others. Indeed, Uganda is not alone. In 1988, Zambia was stripped of the hosting rights after failing to pass the inspection test and the tournament went to Morocco.
Kenya too won the rights for the 1996 edition but Caf took away the rights for similar reasons and instead took the tournament to South Africa. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe was set to host in 2000 before falling at the last hurdle, prompting Ghana and Nigeria to co-host at the last minute.
Incidentally, the same hindrances are still visible in today. For a government that cannot fully fund the national team, how do you expect it to pump in millions of dollars to host a continental event?
Perhaps the only alternative I see for Uganda to host the tournament is through a joint multi- nation bid with neighbours. But a solid organisation in the Cecafa region could sway Caf. Even then, that is still a big if.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
On a positive note, Magogo’s dream could serve as a wake-up call for government to consider putting sports among the priorities that promote the nation. You only have to recall just days ago when the city was painted red each time the national team played at the Nations Cup.
Few things unite humanity like football and for the eight days before Uganda exited, there was a great deal of excitement countrywide. Even global media giants took special focus on Uganda’s 39-year journey back to continental football.
Indeed, it would be a fairy-tale of sorts if Uganda’s bid is given any consideration and the fact that the Fufa leadershiip is mooting the idea points to the lofty heights they are aiming for.
bzziwa@observer.ug
The author is operations director of The Observer Media Ltd.