Uganda needs to build more soccer stadiums
What you need to know:
The issue: Lack of stadiums
Our view: In two years, Uganda shall host the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations, a good start which ought to be commended as far as hosting international sports event is concerned. But Afcon is the zenith of football on the continent.
T his month, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) ruled against Cameroon hosting the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations to be staged in June.
Caf questioned Cameroon’s readiness to stage the first ever 24-team competition and consequently opened a new, short bidding process that concludes at the end of this month.
Uganda will be one of the 24 teams at next year’s edition and the back-to-back qualification of the Cranes shows how so far national team football has grown in recent times. Unfortunately, that growth is not commensurate with facilities all over the country.
It is why Uganda will only look on as the rest of Africa plot bids to host African football’s most prestigious competition.
The only stadium that matches Caf standards is at Namboole. And it would need a lot of refurbishing to reach the sort of level that can host Afcon.
Meanwhile the few other fair grounds are located in the areas of Kampala and Wakiso.
During Gabon 2017, Uganda Cranes was placed in Port Gentil. The oil-rich city is situated in the most western section of the country and was also home to Mali, Ghana and Egypt.
Other games were in the capital city Libreville, the northern town of Oyem and Franceville in the south.
The point here is that Ugandan football would benefit a great deal if the country had stadiums in Gulu (north), Mbale (east) and Fort Portal (west).
Regardless of whether Fufa and the government are interested in hosting Afcon, Uganda is now due another stadium altogether.
Stadiums in far-flung places of the country will inevitably lead to development of the neighbourhoods and probably inspire more young people to take up the game.
With detailed planning and strategizing, international football matches for club and country would cease being a Kampala-centric affair.
But as it is today, we have no right to dream of hosting Afcon.
In two years, we shall host the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations, a good start which ought to be commended as far as hosting international sports event is concerned.
But Afcon is the zenith of football on the continent and there are legacy benefits to enjoy from hosting 24 countries in the biennial competition.
Infrastructure development would inevitably happen as would a surge in tourism figures.
Afcon or not, Namboole right now has done its time and the country would do with another international arena for sports. A new stadium should be a major priority.
