Beach soccer makes tangible steps to Afcon

Hypothetically Uganda is almost ready to host its first ever Afcon Beach Soccer tourney towards the end year.
That was the major gift that the nascent sand sport received last year that can pass both as an opportunity and a challenge to its growth.
The fourth edition of the Afcon Beach Soccer championship due in Kampala in December will form the guiding point for everything done in the Ugandan beach soccer fraternity this new year – never mind the chances of winning the event being so minimal.
Reigning champions Senegal, Nigeria, Morocco and Egypt will surely be the teams to beat but having made a statement in the Copa Dar es Salaam beach soccer tournament where they finished second behind hosts Tanzania, the Sand Cranes will be out to prove a point.
Throughout last year, Uganda Beach Soccer Association (UBSA) has strived to make strides towards elevating the national league from the unpredictable and sorry state it is wallowing in and fortifying the national team to meet the continental challenge.
“We now have four Fifa certified referees; Ivan Bayige, Shafiq Mugerwa, Meddie Senteza and Kennedy Kawagga. Most importantly, we successfully covered all our competitions as per the calendar; national leagues both men and women, nationals Schools championship, University championship, Beach Soccer Cup, National Corporate and the Uganda Sand Cranes engagements,” UBSA chairman Deo Mutabazi told Daily Monitor. They have also improved in the education realm with more coaching badges and also holding the coveted Fifa MA beach soccer course in Njeru.
Challenges
Like in football, the infrastructure issue is still grappling beach soccer with no standard pitch available with months to the big event.
The grand plans of constructing a Fifa funded $200000 each soccer arena at Kitubulu-Entebbe suffered a still birth leaving UBSA with the option of digging up pitches at Namboole and Njeru or resort to Lido Beach and Spennah Beach small pitches.
The fact that the league has gone two seasons with sponsors also raises concern considering that more clubs have gone into oblivion due to financial issues.
Mutabazi states that they are also still baffled by the clubs’ failure to follow the licensing regulations and the inability to take the game upcountry to other parts of the country.
The national team, if it is to put up a sustainable challenge in the Afcon tourney, needs to get more playing time and trial matches according to UBSA. Going forward UBSA has vowed to strictly implement club licensing regulations, hire marketing agencies to market the fun-filled sport, secure partnership in order to solve the playing pitches challenge and lobbying the federation and government to give more support to the national team.

SLAU-Isabeti contest the league
Put aside three-time winners Mubs, the new bulls in the kraal are reigning league champions St Lawrence University (SLAU) and Issa Assimwe’s Isabeti. Half way this league campaign, the tussle for the ultimate prize this season is between the two clubs and they provide the bulk of the players to the Sand Cranes. SLAU coach Davis Nono banks on last season MVP and Fufa best beach soccer best player Sulaiman Ochero while Medi Kibirige, Roch Somoka and Rica Byaruhanga make Isabeti a notable powerhouse.