Uganda’s women youth football story since 2013 is one of deliberate investment, partnership and leadership.
Under the stewardship of Fufa president Moses Magogo, the game shifted from the margins to the mainstream. The credit does not belong to Fufa alone. It is a shared win for Fifa, Caf, the Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association(USSSA), secondary schools, clubs and academies working in the same direction.
The foundation was laid when Fufa’s Football Development Division made youth football a non-negotiable priority under the Technical Master Plan. Instead of treating girls’ football as an afterthought, it was built into the system. USSSA competitions became the first scouting ground.
School championships unearthed raw talent in villages and towns, gave girls a reason to stay in class, and created a pipeline that clubs and academies could tap. Secondary schools became the heartbeat of early development, while clubs and academies provides structured training and competitive minutes beyond school terms.
Fifa and Caf’s role has been transformational. Through funding, technical support, and competitions, they given Uganda both resources and targets. The Fifa “Live Your Goals” programme was a special breakthrough in 2015.
It went beyond the pitch to address social barriers. By combining football training with life skills, health education, and mentorship, it convinced parents and communities that football could protect and empower girls, not distract them.
Fifa and Caf also delivered special coaching courses for women’s football, increasing the number of qualified female coaches and raising the technical level of youth teams. Fufa’s leadership tied it all together.
Magogo pushed club licensing to include women teams, supported the creation of the top flight league in 2015 Fufa Women Super League and Fufa Women Elite League, and ensured youth competitions were scheduled consistently internationally.
The Football Development Division focused on age-group programmes, camps, and regional outreach so talent was not lost in Kampala alone. The results since 2013 prove the model works.
Uganda announced itself with the inaugural COSAFA U17 Girls Championship in 2019, winning it outright. The same year, the Teen Cranes took the inaugural CECAFA U17 Women’s Championship.
In 2021 they reached the final of the inaugural CECAFA U20 Women’s Championship, finishing runners-up. At the All African Games 2023, the U20 team won bronze, showing Uganda could compete continentally.
This year, the U17s again won the CECAFA U17 Women’s Championship 2026 without conceding a goal, and the U20s reached the final round of Fifa U20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers against Ghana at Fufa Stadium, Kadiba Stadium.
Even the setback during Covid, when the high-flying U17 Teen Cranes were denied a chance to face Cameroon for the final round, could not stop the momentum. The game kept growing.
Today, the biggest contributors to women youth football are clear: Government provided policy and facilities, USSSA and schools delivered mass participation, clubs and academies offered daily training, while Fufa, Fifa and Caf created competitions and capacity-building with funding.
That alignment is why Uganda now exports youth talent and competes for trophies. The lesson is simple. Women youth football did not “just happen.”
It grew because leaders chose to invest early, partners brought resources, schools opened doors, and clubs gave girls a pathway.
The author is Fufa Corporate Affairs director