Magogo strengthens grip as Caf succumbs to Fifa choice

The year 2021 was not only a year of politics and elections at the national level, it was one where the local football structures as well as the continent elected its leaders. 
Moses Magogo benefitted across three fronts: joining the August House, retaining his seat at Fufa, and getting a new appointment from Caf.
Magogo gave a shot at national politics and went through as Member of Parliament for Budiope East on the National Resistance Movement party ticket in January.

While some thought Magogo would pass on the football leadership baton, he declared his interest to stand again.
Mujib Kasule was the only person who openly and officially expressed interest to challenge Magogo despite several murmurs in the football corridors. Kasule, just like in 2017, failed to meet the minimum requirements for his name to appear on the ballot, leaving Magogo unopposed.
Kasule cried foul and threatened to drag Magogo to Fifa. He complained about the electoral structure that favour the incumbent and quoted some components in the Fifa ethics code that he said were violated.
Among others, Kasule quoted the Fifa Code of Ethics that requires anyone who holds such top offices to remain politically neutral and in a manner compatible with their function and integrity. 

Under integrity, he cited the case in 2019 where Magogo was found guilty of illegal resale of 2014 World Cup tickets and banned for two months after entering a plea bargain.
However, after the storm came the calm and Magogo’s re-election was endorsed on August 21 at the 97th ordinary Fufa assembly in Mbale.
He maintained a cog of members of his executive committee and also added on former Uganda Cranes player Dan Obote and his long-serving social media warrior Apollo Ahimbisibwe to the committee of 14 members.

Caf succumbs to Fifa choice
Away from home, there was a lot that interested Uganda and the rest of Africa – the Caf elections. There has been no year like this in the football politics at Caf. A sitting president was banned, his next in command who acted as interim failed the integrity test to stand while the four eligible to stand entered into a rare coalition agreement overseen by Fifa boss Gianni Infantino.
Malagasy Ahmad Ahmad, who ended Issa Hayatou’s three-decade reign, was banned by Fifa in November 2020 for corruption, abuse of office, among others, ruling him out of the race.

Ahmad threw his last die but the Court of Arbitration for Sports only reduced his ban from five years to two – not enough respite for him to seek re-election.
His second in command, Constant Omari, failed an integrity and eligibility check after he was found guilty of receiving gifts from a TV company in connection with the commercialisation of TV rights.
The contest was left for South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe, Augustin Senghor (Senegal), Jacques Anouma (Ivory Coast) and Ahmed Yahya from Mauritania.
 
However, the March 21 election in Rabat, Morocco, was turned into a coronation ceremony for the South African business magnate and owner of Mamelodi Sundowns.
A series of talks and a shuttle diplomacy by Infantino had seen the other three candidates back down for Motsepe and accept secondary roles at Caf.