Uefa president’s emotional treat of slum football

Ceferin was left dumbfounded at the depths it takes to nurture football talents and a responsible society. Being among the 65 humanitarian projects around the world that benefit from Uefa’s grant of €4.9 million to help in grassroots football development under the Uefa Foundation for Children, Ceferin had come to see what exactly is happening here in Uganda in regards to the developments the foundation is making.

When the foundation received the grant, it began its work by redeveloping the multipurpose Acholi Quarters playground in Banda, improving the structures and status of the annual Banda Slums Soccer Tournament, buying a 15-acre plot of land in Masindi, and starting the construction work at the Aliguma Foundation Sports and Empowerment Centre.

Uefa was impressed by the progress of the work the foundation was doing to change the lives of the less privileged, and in November 2022, the Aliguma Foundation was selected as one of the 12 NGOs in Africa to receive a second grant from the football federation.

This was after the founder of the Aliguma Foundation, Ritah Aliguma, made a presentation during the 84th International Sports Press Association Congress in Rome last October where she lobbied and solicited for support in a detailed report about how football continues to change lives and being a catalyst for several children to stop crime and return to school, which convinced the Uefa delegation to give the foundation a second grant.

“These are stories that we want to be shared globally. This second grant should enable a greater number of children across the globe to enjoy the magic of football while also offering them hope for a better tomorrow,” Ceferin said.

On a chilly Wednesday morning last week, Ceferin, who was in company of other Uefa delegates, the minister of state for sports Peter Ogwang, and National Council of Sports (NCS) chairman Ambrose Tashobya, visited zone B1 in Banda, where the local women welcomed the entire entourage with ululations, songs and dances that amazed the Uefa president.

While here, he got to witness the entrepreneurial side of the women in the slums supported by the Aliguma Foundation under the Tusimbudde Women’s Group who exhibited different items they make like counter books, bags, purses, necklaces, bangles, pea nut butter, liquid soap, paper bags, hats and baskets, among others.

They even gave Ceferin a hat made out of kikoyi as a token of appreciation for visiting them. The women then performed a drama play highlighting the struggles women in the slums go through to look after their families despite the presence of their husbands.

The play was in Luganda, though, which Ceferin definitely doesn’t understand but, nevertheless, the expressions on his face showed that he enjoyed the drama.

While speaking to the members of the community, Ogwang reminded the Uefa president that the best footballers in the world come from such communities (slums), and therefore, on behalf of the government, he requested that he provide an artificial turf for the football pitch in the area to help the children in the slum community improve on their skills and become better footballers.

Ceferin, in his brief remarks, said football is not only about playing it, but encompasses very many other aspects and, therefore, the Uefa Foundation for Children is not only there to create new talents but to also help vulnerable children across the world.

“It is one thing to ask for help from Europe; it is another to come here and see the real situation of the people. I have heard the request of the minister, and Uefa will offer the necessary support, but the government should also help by partnering with us to invest in football infrastructure,” Ceferin said.

Wanting to have a deeper insight into the lives of the slum dwellers and explore the surroundings, Ceferin and his team left their cars behind and instead opted for a 4km march through Banda to another slum known as the Acholi Quarters, where a children’s tournament was going to take place.

Led by a brass band and walking alongside Ogwang, Ceferin kept on smiling and waving to the people, both young and old, who excitedly stared by the roadside. Women and children followed closely behind, cheering, dancing and singing along to the music played by the band.

The heavy rains that had fallen the whole of the previous day brought to light the plight of the people who reside in these slums. Thus, Ceferin at some point had to jump over trenches with sewage running under them and squeeze onto one side of the muddy road to avoid stepping into heaps of garbage collected by the roadside.

When he arrived at the grassless pitch in Acholi Quarters, Ceferin first greeted the teams of young football players from different schools around Kireka and Banda who were waiting for him while having one-on-one close interactions with the captains of these teams.

He then exhibited his footballing skills as he juggled and passed the ball with Ogwang before he blasted it into the sky as a sign of kicking off the children’s tournament that was going to be played before him.

The tournament was a brief one of three matches, each lasting no more than 20 minutes, but it saw Ceferin cheering on the young players on the field from his seat in a raised pavilion.

The slum of Acholi Quarters is not new to producing great football talent, as it has already produced Sadat Anaku, who plays for Scottish club Dundee United as a forward. The 22-year-old also played locally for the KCCA football club and was called last year to be part of the Ugandan national team, The Cranes.

At the end of his visit, Ceferin described the experience as both amazing and emotional.

“The visit was amazing, and it has been an emotional experience for me, and I think we should come more often and see what real life looks like. It is not a gift that I came, but a gift that you have received me.”

Ogwang also further revealed that in his discussions with Ceferin, he promised to partner with the government to develop sports infrastructure centers and enroll local coaches in the Uefa pro licensing program.

“One of the strategic areas I told him about as far as sports management is concerned is having our coaches take the Uefa Pro Licensing Coaching badges because this is the highest level for tacticians, and when such coaches return, they can help us nurture more talents for our clubs and national teams.”

About his request for an artificial turf for the Acholi Quarters football pitch, Ogwang said Ceferin agreed to provide the turf for the playground, and the government will only pay for its taxes once it arrives in the country. Meanwhile, Ritah Aliguma couldn’t hide the joy and pleasure of hosting the Uefa president in their locality.

“We are very grateful to have the Uefa president come to such a community in Uganda,” His visit is a message of hope and love to all the young people here in the slums, and I am sure many young people have been inspired because of his visit,” she said.

Ceferin was also meant to visit State House for a meeting with the First Lady and minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni. However, this was cancelled at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances. He later rushed to Kigali, Rwanda, to attend the 73rd Fifa Congress, which took place on March 16 at the BK Arena.

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