Africa-Press – Uganda. A trip to the continent to play Egyptian club Future in the 2022/23 Caf Confederations cost Bul no less than Shs400m, according to the club’s report.
Fufa sponsored 25 players and officials to the tune of Shs92.5m for the return ticket to Cairo, Egypt.
The Jinja club and Vipers were the last to benefit from Fufa’s generous subsidy, which covered a maximum of 25 return air tickets.
Besides established institutional clubs like KCCA, URA and Bul, only the wealthy individuals at SC Villa and Express have been able to manage this feat in the last decade or so.
After winning the league, Villa, under Hajj Omar Mandela, will represent in next season’s Caf Champions League. Either Nec or Kitara will be declared the newest winner of the Uganda Cup after today’s final at Wankulukuku.
Deep pockets
The winner at Wankulukuku will celebrate the trophy while staring at the financial burden ahead. Nec is not bothered!
“I can assure you that we have the capacity as a corporation to represent the country,” Eng. Brian Buhanda, the Nec chairman, assured this publication.
“We haven’t gotten the estimates of expenditure on the continent yet, but we shall draw up a budget in the event that we emerge winners,” he added.
While Nec, being the commercial arm of the army, has a stable backup, Kitara will have to pull enough strings if they win the ticket.
The Kabalega Royals have relied on a vibrant home base that has collected slightly above Shs280m from 18 home games, in addition to the Shs200m shirt sponsorship from Jonard Conglomerate.
Despite their figures looking meagre compared to what Africa demands, Kitara’s chief executive officer and shareholder Joshua Atugonza is confident they have the muscle.
“No way,” he replied when asked if they’d pass the chance. “We are ready for the continent,” he asserted.
Namboole to the rescue
Bul and KCCA admitted to paying almost sh100m to host their games at Kitende, but Namboole will provide relief for Villa or either Nec and Kitara.
Jamil Ssewanyana, the managing director of Mandela National Stadium was non-committal on the fees but assures it will be below what Kitende asks.
“It may not reach that figure (Shs100m) but we shall agree with the clubs on a percentage to be charged from the 40,000-seater because there are some costs involved,” Ssewanyana said.
Before anything is done, Fufa requires a refundable security deposit of U$10,000 (Shs38m) before any participation application is forwarded to Caf. This caters for any fines including if the club fails to honour games or pay any other dues accrued during the tournament.
If the Cup winner fails to honour, Fufa holds the right to select a replacement but the final ranking in the league will be given priority.
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