Disquiet over FUFA's stance on relief funds for women's football

Aug 05, 2020

FIFA in July availed $1m (sh3.7bn) of which 50% was specifically supposed to be for women football.

Women's football stakeholders want more COVID-19 answers from local football governing body FUFA.

Stakeholders met the federation last week in a session chaired FUFA head Moses Magogo.

But rather than leave the meeting convinced about the COVID-19 pandemic's relief, they left with more questions.

"My concern is that when they were inviting us for the meeting, the letters indicated that we were going to talk about COVID-19 relief fund however Magogo told us the funds were for the development of the game," stated Lady Doves chairman Julius Mugisa.

This follows world soccer governing body FIFA's release of COVID relief grants to its 211 member countries.

FIFA in July availed $1m (sh3.7bn) of which 50% or $500,000 (sh1.9bn) was specifically supposed to be for women football.

FIFA thereafter released $1.5m or sh5.6b and again directed that a third of it was for the women.

FIFA explained on its website, "a universal solidarity grant of USD 1 million will be made available to all member associations, and an additional grant of USD 500,000 will be allocated specifically to women's football."

That means another sh1.9b should be headed to the women's game locally. Overall, therefore, Ugandan women's football was given sh2.75b by FIFA as their portion of the COVID-19 relief funds.

But Magogo while meeting the women's football stakeholders stressed that $500,000 (and not sh2.75bn) that women's football is entitled to is not for Covid-19 relief.

He said it is a package to develop and sustain women's football.

Well aware that its affiliates worldwide are struggling, FIFA rolled out the relief plan stressing that the funds were supposed to cushion stakeholders against the pandemic.

"This relief plan is a great example of football's solidarity and commitment in such unprecedented times," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

"I would like to thank my colleagues of the Bureau of the Council for approving the decision to move forward with such an important initiative for the benefit of all member associations and confederations."

For the second phase, member associations have now been given the ability to transform remaining FIFA Forward development project grants into COVID-19 operational relief funds - with a minimum of 50 per cent of released funds to be allocated to women's football."

Uganda's women's teams also want more accountability from FUFA.

She Corporates chairman Richard Kawere noted that much as the federation is supposed to reveal how the FIFA money will be appropriated, there is need for more clarity.

"My concern is that we don't know how long this support will be since previously there has been no declaration from FUFA depending on the money sent for women football. We hope it will be used to capacity building, ability of the game among others."

Gafford Ladies founder Henry Barungi has also expressed shock that the meeting with FUFA wasn't for COVID-19 relief.

He has also called for transparency in FUFA's relationship with women's football stakeholders.

"We thought this was about the COVID-19 relief fund but we were told it wasn't. Transparency is also needed if we are to move to another level.

In one of the suggestions, we request support in terms of transport fees especially those travelling for away matches.

This will help reduce the walkovers in the league since many teams don't have funds to travel for away matches. For example, Paidha Women FC may not play all their away games since most of their opponents are based in Kampala."

Meanwhile, as Uganda is yet to distribute the FIFA COVID-19 relief funds other countries have already availed the money.

The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) on July 30 announced the disbursement of a total of $1,300,000 FIFA and CAF COVID-19 relief funds.

Isha Johansen, the SLFA president, even moved a step further from depending on FIFA hand-outs with a relief offer from the national body.

SLFA provided relief funds totalling $340,000 for clubs and regional associations well before the FIFA and CAF offer to cushion the effects of the pandemic.

Christopher Kamara, the SLFA secretary, announced the various beneficiaries of the FIFA and CAF relief funds, ranging from both male and female national teams, associations, premier league clubs, sports journalists, retired football heroes, the Premier League Board (PLB) and wider football associations.

The 14 Premier League clubs will receive the sum of $15,000 each, while the Premier League Board will receive $200,000 (the biggest beneficiary).

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