FUFA puts ban on academy travel

Oct 03, 2007

FUFA has banned all foreign trips for youth football academies in the country as they set regulations to guide the establishments.

By Norman Katende and Swalley Kenyi

FUFA has banned all foreign trips for youth football academies in the country as they set regulations to guide the establishments.

The ban follows a directive from National Council of Sports to FUFA last week.

It follows a recent incident where 120 footballers as young as six years were stranded in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

The players from the Kampala Junior Team had gone to compete at the annual Nairobi International (Mchezo wa Africa) Cup and got stranded after the tournament when director of the academy Ismael Kabugo ran short of money.

FUFA chief executive officer Charles Masembe told the weekly press conference at FUFA House Mengo that a probe was investigating the various academies and come out with regulations governing academies in the country.

Masembe explained that some academies were used to sneak out children to overseas parents, that have separated with their families.
“For now no academy can be allowed to take children beyond our boarders,” Masembe announced.

“Our probe has revealed that when parents who have separated want to have their children stay with them they use the academies to get these children to wherever they are in Europe or America.”

Juventus Junior Club who were already seeking permission from FUFA to allow them travel for a football tour of Europe became the first victim of the suspension yesterday when Masembe denied them leave.

Meanwhile, continental soccer body CAF is seeking a 75 seconds long musical composition that reflects African culture for its anthem.

In a letter to all its affiliates including FUFA, CAF general secretary Mustapha Fahmy said that the winner of the composition would be awarded a prize yet to be announced.

“The anthem has to be a musical composition which has to reflect the cultural patrimony and African music, It is open to all African composers,” Fahmy wrote.

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