Last week, a section of Fufa delegates from Buganda region led by Rogers Mulindwa met and endorsed Moses Magogo to extend his grip on Ugandan football for another four years.
They praised him for taking the game to the grassroots and for accommodating all stakeholders.
It was at this point that I wondered whether Mulindwa meant what he said or was indirectly mocking his boss.
I know Magogo likes to be surrounded by sycophants but he must have been bemused with such praise well knowing he is doing his best to fail grassroots football.
[caption id="attachment_86" align="alignnone" width="760"] Fufa president Moses Magogo at a presser[/caption]
For instance, greater Luweero, which Mulindwa represents in the assembly, has no single club in the Uganda Premier League or the Big League. Even Ndejje University FC, which would qualify, is now based in Kampala. But the same Mulindwa is singing praises to a man who claims to have football at heart yet he has failed to promote a single team from his Budope East constituency and entire Kamuli district.
On hindsight, I cannot begrudge Magogo for surrounding himself with people that have nothing to lose because they help deflect attention away from his misdeeds.
Following his 2019 conviction of fraud when he admitted stealing World Cup tickets meant for Ugandans, Magogo can no longer address any serious football forum. He has been alienated in international football and seeing that Caf or his successor may unleash more of his dirt if he leaves office, he badly needs people like Mulindwa to bully other delegates to toe the line and remain in office. Oftentimes in international football, when someone leaves power, their scandals are laid bare and often followed with huge bans.
So, Magogo is desperate to stay at the helm even if it means throwing away the moral and ethical card.
In fact, one of the recently-elected Fufa regional chairpersons confided to me how Magogo is meeting each of them separately; assuring them of big rewards in the executive if they nominate him on polling day. By doing so, Magogo is trying to manipulate them not to endorse another candidate, thereby making it impossible for anyone else to be on the ballot.
Most importantly, these sycophants help scare away potential football investors, leaving Magogo as the alpha and omega.
Magogo himself has severally said Ugandan football doesn’t need investors yet at the moment, all eyes are on Dr Lawrence Mulindwa, a model football investor who transforming club football in the country. You only need to see how he has managed to attract top brands such as Hima Cement, dfcu, Roofings and Hardware World to understand that football cannot grow if Fufa only promotes institutional clubs like KCCA, Police and URA, among others.
The reason Fufa likes these clubs is because they don’t question the status quo because their leadership doesn’t dig from personal pockets. A person who spends from their pockets will question any form of injustice.
That’s why you cannot find a single football investor supporting Magogo.
In fact, once-thriving clubs like Onduparaka and Busoga United have had their fortunes plummet for standing up to Fufa’s authoritarian tendencies.
