By Carolyne Muyama
The opportunity for Uganda to co-host the 2024 African Nations Championship alongside Kenya and Tanzania transcends football. It is a chance for African players to showcase their talent on the continental stage since CHAN features only local talent. This tournament boosts morale and pride in homegrown athletes and encourages investment in local leagues.
In Uganda one of the most unifying and proudest moments is during national or international football matches. This is a time Ugandans put aside their political, religious, and cultural differences to rally behind their national team or country. Roads leading to the hosting stadiums are always awash with spectators and boda bodas loudly blowing vuvuzelas and chanting slogans of praise and support for their teams. This brings traffic to a standstill. Many people leave their cars at home and join others to trek to the stadium because it is an exciting experience.
Football in Uganda is more than just entertainment. It brings out a strong spirit of nationalism. The flags, songs, and celebrations connect rural and urban, rich and poor communities under one shared interest. It is a platform for positive nationalism, especially among the youth who often feel disconnected from political processes.
Uganda’s co-hosting of CHAN 2024 means we meet international standards in infrastructure, logistics, and hospitality. Taking part in organizing a major Confederation of African Football (CAF) event positions Uganda as a serious player in continental affairs, earning diplomatic capital and influence in East Africa and beyond.
To host CHAN, a country must meet specific strict requirements set by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). These range from having suitable stadiums with adequate seating capacity and training facilities todemonstrating the capability to handle logistics, security, and accommodation for participating teams and fans.
While launching CHAN 2024 at Kololo Independence Grounds, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni said hosting CHAN has provoked Uganda in a positive way to act. To qualify to host CHAN, Uganda had to undertake heavy sports infrastructure upgrades and development that included renovation of training facilities like Wankulukuku, Kyambogo, Kadiba, and KISU grounds. Mandela National Stadium Namboole underwent significant renovations, including upgrading of the playing surface, dressing rooms, spectator amenities, and media facilities to bring it to the modern CAF standards.
Uganda stands to benefit from enhanced cooperation between hosting countries beyond the formal diplomatic structures of interaction. The coaches, the players, and the service providers will create rapport that high-level treaties and tripartite may not achieve. As political leaders are still haggling in boardrooms for regional cooperation, the organizers of this event are already maneuvering national differences to deliver a successful tournament to the eager fans across Africa and the world at large. By the end of this tournament strangers will leave as friends with deeper trust, lessons, cross-border collaborations, and opportunities.
The public will enjoy affordable access to world-class football, as food vendors, artisans, and entertainers are set to reap big from the influx of fans, teams, and officials as football excitement has a bearing on how people spend. Transport and accommodation sectors around the match venues are enjoying a boost in business.
Hosting CHAN is a strategic dry run for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which Uganda will co-host with Kenya and Tanzania. By successfully organizing CHAN, Uganda proves its readiness to handle even bigger sporting events. With CAF’s confidence in Uganda, we hope to host more continental competitions in the future.
To be proactive, Uganda should create a sports fund to support football and other disciplines, identify and prepare local talent, and train coaches, referees, and administrators to align with international standards. This is so that our hard work towards hosting CHAN doesn’t go to waste should opportunities find us unready.
As food for thought for our politicians, given the period we are in as a country, what if you too picked some lessons from CHAN? Try replacing individualism with collective effort for teamwork, consider your actions on international perception of Brand Uganda, engage the youth beyond your campaign strategies, create for them opportunities to showcase their talents, consider performance as the only currency and shun corruption, and let the policies that you make bring people together around shared goals. Remember, empty promises like poor game plans will eventually lead to losses.
As we turn out in big numbers to enjoy the tournament, let us keep the peace and security of our neighbors, visitors, and our country. We go Uganda, we go!
The writer works at Uganda Media Centre.
