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Elgon FM

Soccer

21 October, 2024

109

Acholi Province has secured seventy-five million shillings for participation in the inter-province competition of the Federation of Football Association of Uganda's fifth edition. The Federation of Football Association of Uganda, named the Drum, was initiated in 2019 for searching talent across the country, which has turned into a hunting ground for clubs in the domestic leagues.

The Acholi Province Chairperson, Moses Lubangakene, told Uganda Radio Network on Sunday evening in an interview that the province has a planned budget of 150 million shillings for financing their activities. The proposed budget is meant to feed players, meet their travel costs, accommodations, and allowances, as well as facilitate the technical team on duties during the season.

He, however, revealed that the province has already secured 25 million shillings from the revenue generated by bus hires. He explained that the province has written to the local governments in the region, companies, and development partners seeking funding to realize the budget.

“We have a clear sense of direction and belief to strengthen accountability mechanisms and mobilize resources for the team. A poor team can’t win this competition,” Lubangakene observed.

During the launch of a fundraising drive for the province on Sunday evening at Pece Stadium, Lt-Gen. Charles Otema Awany injected 50 million shillings, leaving the team with a shortfall of 75 million.

Otema, who doubles as the Patron for Acholi Province, has commended the football governing body for not only nurturing young talents but fostering unity through sporting activities.

“The team has reorganized itself to fight for victory in this year’s edition, and the technical team must ensure the safety and welfare of our players are prioritized,” Gen Otema cautioned.

After his appointment by The Acholi Paramount Chief Rwot David Onen Acana II as the second Patron of Acholi Province, replacing the late Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah, Awany has invested over 70 million for supporting the Acholi team in two years.

His predecessor, Oulanyah, had lobbied President Museveni, who supported the province with a bus in 2020 to facilitate travel for players from within and outside the region.

Gilbert Olanya, the Kilak South Member of Parliament and a national representative of political leaders in FUFA, has asked the youths to take advantage of the tournament to exploit their talent.

Acholi Province has predominantly participated in the FUFA Drum, reaching the semifinals three times and winning the title in the second edition after Buganda Province won the first edition.

Meanwhile, participation in the drum competition is granted only to Ugandan nationals, but the individual player must have their biological parents or ancestry coming from a particular region.

The rules further allow any player whose biological parent has lived in a particular region for not less than 10 years to represent that region.

The Drum brings together 16 regions: Buganda, Kampala, Busoga, West Nile, Tooro, Bukedi, Kigezi, Teso, Lango, Ankole, Bugisu, Bunyoro, Karamoja, Sebei, Rwenzori, and Acholi to compete for the title.

Acholi Province will battle it out with the defending champions West Nile Province in Group A, Lango and Buganda in Group B, Busoga and Kigezi in Group C, Teso and Tooro in Group D, respectively.

However, each group will have an additional team that is yet tussling it out to qualify from the bottom, which includes Rwenzori Province, Bunyoro, Bugisu, Karamoja, Kampala, Ankole, and Sebei.

Bugisu Province entertained Karamoja in a 2:1 defeat at Mbale Stadium on August 24, 2024, during the opening ceremony of the fifth edition of the tournament.

Rwenzori will battle against Bunyoro, Kampala takes on Bukedi, and Sebei against Ankole, where four teams will qualify from.