FUFA Drum Returns After Two-Year Sabbatical

The FUFA inter provinces competition alias FUFA Drum returns in July 2022 after two years of interruption by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Moses Magogo, the President of the Federation of Uganda Football Association- FUFA announced the development at a media briefing at their Mengo-based offices.

He explained that the competition played between 16 provinces of Uganda returns after a sudden two-year sabbatical caused by lockdown restrictions announced to interrupt the spread of COVID-19. 

The competition will involve teams from Busoga, Teso Bukedi, Kampala, Lango, Ankole, Bugisu, Sebei Bunyoro, Acholi, Westnile, Karamoja, Kigezi, Buganda, Tooro, and Rwenzori regions. 

Rogers Byamukama, the competition’s organizer, said that although FUFA managed to organize other competitions behind closed doors, they could not do the same for FUFA Drum.   

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Magogo explains that the main objective of the “FUFA Drum” is to use Football to celebrate people’s ancestry by bringing together football stars to play for their respective regions. He says that the development will also help the local football clubs earn popularity when their players engage in the competition.    

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According to the draws held Wednesday, Busoga will host Teso, Bukedi will host Kampala, Lango will take on Ankole, Bugisu will host Sebei, Bunyoro will play Acholi, West Nile will play Karamoja, while Kigezi will battle Buganda. Byamukama also revealed that, unlike past editions, this year’s edition will be played from the round of sixteen, and the winner after the two legs will progress to the quarter-finals. 

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FUFA started the competition in 2018. Buganda and Acholi won the first and second editions in 2018 and 2019 respectively. According to FUFA, all Ugandan players are eligible to participate in the championship. 

However, for a player to represent a certain province, their biological mother or father must be of descent or ancestry from such a province or must have lived in that province for a period of not less than 10 years.   

Women Edition Unveiled   

In the same development, FUFA has also launched the maiden women’s version of the inter-region competition. Unlike the men’s version, this will be played between 8 regions and all games will be played at FUFA Technical Center, Njeru.

Magogo also explained that the first edition was shortened because of the limited time. He, however, said the second edition of the competition will take the normal criteria.    

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The eight provinces were pitted into groups with Western, Buganda, Northern, and Eastern pitted in group A while West Nile, Kampala, North East, and Kitara pitted in group B. The two provinces from each group will progress to the semi-final of this tournament.