FUFA has unveiled Zakayo, a match ball for its competitions. They also launched JANZI, the new official FUFA sportswear manufacturer.

This was revealed at FUFA Complex on Friday and FUFA boss Moses Magogo said that they decided to name the ball Zakayo (a legendary chimpanzee that passed on in 2018), because they wanted it to connect with the tourism sector in the country.

“One of the things that make this country proud is because of its tourism and we know what Zakayo means and it’s the reason we decided to name the ball after the chimpanzee. What we are doing has been done elsewhere. It has been done at the level of the English Premier League,” stated Magogo.

Each of the Uganda Premier League sides will be given 25 balls (20 for the senior team and 5 for the junior team), while each club in the FUFA Big League and FUFA Women Super League will get 15 balls respectively.

The ball which will cost sh50,000 and sh100,000 has three patches of the Uganda flag that stand for ethnicity, abundant sunshine, and brotherhood.

SC Villa president Hajji Ahmed Omar Mandela was the first person to buy the balls.

Meanwhile, Janzi, the new sportswear manufacturer will produce all merchandise for FUFA brands including national teams and Magogo feels will reduce the costs they previously incurred in purchasing them. 

"We want to create our brands. Everything we do we have to first think about it and even this one we thought about it for three years. We tested it and revealed that it can work. The equipment in football is expensive but when you go where they manufacture them, the price is small. We decided to make our brand and it is registered as a trademark owned by FUFA,” he reasoned.

Items such as match balls, jerseys, travel bags, tracksuits, caps, hats, branded cups, and umbrellas, among others, will be produced by the company.