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UPL joins global football talks on welfare, dev’t

Group picture at the annual World Leagues Association in Cairo last week. PHOTO/COURTESY
What you need to know:
The Uganda Premier League attended the regional social dialogue last week in Cairo between World Leagues Association, Fifpro and representatives of African professional leagues including Egypt, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Nigeria among others, as guests
For the first time, Uganda’s top football championship earned a seat at the table of global football dialogue, joining giants like South Africa and Egypt in Cairo to address pressing issues facing African leagues.
The Uganda Premier League (UPL), represented by its chief commercial officer, Jenkins Matovu, participated in the regional social dialogue hosted by the World Leagues Association (WLA) as guests.
The event brought together professional leagues from South Africa, Egypt, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria - all full members of the WLA - to discuss challenges facing African football.
Other African members of the WLA include Morocco, Botswana, and Madagascar.
“The meeting in Cairo provided invaluable insights into how professional leagues across the globe are leveraging innovation and collaboration to grow the game,” Matovu told the Daily Monitor.
“Key discussions around player welfare, commercial rights, and community engagement offered actionable strategies that align with our vision for the Uganda Premier League.
“As the UPL, we will focus on strengthening our player transfer system, enhancing collaborations, and ensuring clubs create deeper connections with their communities.”
Matovu added: “These takeaways are a road map to positioning the Uganda Premier League as a competitive and commercially viable league, ready to deliver value to all stakeholders, including fans, players, and partners.”
Top Representation
The WLA, which has 45 member leagues worldwide, includes top European leagues from England, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Portugal, and the Netherlands, representing about 1,100 clubs.
During the meeting, Fifpro (International Federation of Professional Footballers) board member and Fifpro Africa president, Cameroonian legend Geremi Njitap, underscored the importance of national leagues in football’s ecosystem.
“Wherever players earn their livelihood - in teams big and small - they understand the value of national leagues. These leagues are the backbone of the industry, contributing to their jobs and the sector as a whole,” said Njitap.
The regional discussion, where professional leagues and Fifpro expressed their views on labour matters in Africa, was held under the framework of the Global Labour Agreement (GLA).
The GLA between Fifpro and the WLA aims to foster social dialogue in football. The session also included Eric Oechslin, the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) representative for Egypt and Northern Africa.
Looking Ahead
Participants agreed to reconvene in early 2025 to develop a specific working plan ahead of the next ILO Global Expert Meeting in 2026.
Fifpro Africa general secretary Kgosana Masaseng hailed the initiative as timely: “This initiative will provide critical support to the African sports industry, which is at a turning point and facing challenges that can only be resolved through effective social dialogue.”