FUFA hikes gate charges

Apr 27, 2011

THE expectant Cranes fans will have to part with an extra buck when the team hosts Guinea Bissau in the return leg of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at Namboole on June 4.


Nations Cup qualifier
June 4
Uganda v Guinea Bissau
Charges
Pavilion –sh30000
Open stands - sh15000


By Swalley Kenyi

THE expectant Cranes fans will have to part with an extra buck when the team hosts Guinea Bissau in the return leg of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at Namboole on June 4.

National football governing body FUFA has said that the current upsurge in food and fuel prices has forced them to raise charges for the match by sh5000 and sh10000 for the stands and pavilion respectively.

Fans will have to part with sh30000 for pavilion up from sh20000, while tickets for the open stands will go for sh15000 from previously sh10000.

Cranes host Guinea Bissau in a return leg on June 4 at Namboole and FUFA chief executive officer Edgar Watson said that they had to increase the charges to meet the anticipated operational costs. Uganda won the first leg 1-0 in Bissau.

“We need to meet costs of preparing our team, hosting the visitors, match officials and other costs. We have not yet got a response from government (about the budget proposal for the game). We need to be prepared and yet we don’t have any money at the moment,” Watson explained at the weekly FUFA press conference at Mengo yesterday.

Cranes lead fan Jackson ‘Uncle Money’ Ssewanyana said that the increase in the charges means that his group will need to step up mobilisation for the fans to turn to watch the game in big numbers.

FUFA planned to use part of the delayed prize money from the Nile Basin tournament in Egypt to meet preparatory costs for the match but organisers of the event in Cairo have remained mum over the $125,500 (sh300m) Uganda won for finishing second.

Watson said that he has again written to their Egyptian counterparts demanding payment but he is yet to get a reply.

Meanwhile, FIFA referees officials Carlos Enriques and Mademba Mbacke will take 71 Ugandan referees and match assessors through a workshop and fitness test from April 30 to May 6 at Namboole.


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