AFCON Beach Soccer tourney preparations in high gear
Oct 09, 2019
For starters, a five day FIFA beach soccer refereeing course is underway at the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru with 27 participants (referees and assessors) taking part.
Hosts Uganda has kick-started its preparations for the 2020 AFCON Beach Soccer tournament.
For starters, a five day FIFA beach soccer refereeing course is underway at the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru with 27 participants (referees and assessors) taking part.
The course has also attracted four female referees and six from the foreign countries that make up the CECAFA Region.
The course is aimed at preparing referees to correctly interpret and apply the Laws of the game during local and international assignments.
Italian FIFA Instructor, Michele Conti who is in charge of the course commended FUFA for championing the development of the game having already got four beach soccer, international referees.
The course will also help in bringing the best referees that will officiate at next year's AFCON Beach Soccer finals. The Uganda National team-Sand Cranes qualified automatically to participate in the tournament from which the best two teams will represent Africa in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
It will be the 4th edition of the AFCON Beach Soccer finals. The last edition (2018) was hosted by Egypt.
The decision to have Uganda named the hosts was taken during the CAF Executive Committee meeting in Accra, Ghana on Friday 30th November 2018.
The Sand Cranes will also take part in the annual Regional Championship, COPA Dar es Salaam to be hosted by Tanzania in December as one of the build-ups to the Africa championship.
It is reported that FUFA is in advanced talks with the management of Aero beach, Entebbe to have a beach soccer facility built there.
A budget of least $150,000 has been set aside for completion of this facility that will be the new home of Beach Soccer in Uganda courtesy of the FIFA Forward Programme.
Previously beach soccer has played at Lido Beach in Entebbe and Mutoola in Mukono
In the related development, FIFA beach soccer referee Ivan Kintu Bayige has been appointed to officiate at the 2019 COPA LAGOS Beach Soccer tournament in November in Nigeria. This will be his second time is officiating at this championship.