A public feud has erupted between former Uganda Police Force spokesperson Asan Kasingye and Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) president Moses Magogo over the state of Ugandan football and the marketing of local players.
The disagreement followed reports that Vipers SC had sold midfielder Allan Okello for Shs 4.4 billion, prompting Kasingye to call for greater efforts to market Ugandan players to the international market.
“We need to learn how to market our players in Uganda. Football is a multi-business venture but we’re on 1% battery power,” Kasingye said.
Magogo, however, challenged Kasingye’s position, arguing that Ugandan football cannot develop when fans and prominent personalities continue to prioritise foreign leagues over local competitions.
He said local support translates into revenue for clubs, which can then invest in infrastructure and player development.
“Ugandans have failed to understand that those foreign leagues are an extension of imported services. You find top personalities in Uganda singing praise of foreign leagues,” Magogo said.
The exchange escalated after Magogo appeared to challenge Kasingye to a televised debate.
Kasingye rejected the invitation, questioning Magogo’s motivation and recalling an earlier confrontation between the two.
“You want to debate me on TV? Really? Am I now worthy of your audience? In 2022, you called a press conference at Imperial Royale and embarrassed me before journalists. Then you dismissed them,” Kasingye said.
He added that he had previously asked Magogo to allow journalists to hear his side of the dispute, but the request was ignored.
“I requested you to allow the press come in so that they can listen to my side too. You ignored. Now, you want to debate me on FUFA TV?” he said.
Kasingye also dismissed suggestions that his criticism of FUFA was driven by an ambition to take over the federation’s leadership.
“You think I am interested in your chair? Forget it. Listen to our views. If you don’t find them worthy, dismiss them as so. If you find credit, implement them,” he said.
He further defended his support for foreign clubs, saying following Arsenal or other international teams does not make someone an enemy of Ugandan football.
“If, however, you feel that I should stop supporting Arsenal because I also support SC Villa and work on executive, you know who to call so that he can fire me,” Kasingye said.
Questions over local football
Kasingye said that if the proposed television debate takes place, he would use it to raise questions about the management of Ugandan football.
“On the TV debate, I will ask one question. Someone should prepare answers,” he said.
He alleged that during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, complimentary tickets intended for Ugandan football officials were instead sold to European officials.
“One Ugandan official was given complimentary tickets for local Ugandan football officials during the World Cup in Russia, 2018. They were instead sold to Europeans. Is this the support for local football?” he asked.
Kasingye also revived questions surrounding the transfer of Ugandan players, citing the case of Jimmy Kulaba, a Uganda Police player who, he claimed, was transferred to a Kenyan club without the knowledge of his club.
He said the matter occurred in 2011 when he was serving on FUFA’s Club Competitions Committee.
“Since originally the issue was about selling our players to international markets, I will ask about who sold Uganda Police player called Kulaba Jimmy to Kenya without the knowledge of the club when I was in charge of the Club Competitions Committee of FUFA in 2011,” Kasingye said.
He also referred to what he described as an INTERPOL file relating to alleged corruption involving the Uganda Cranes in Marrakech, Morocco.
“I will also remember how the INTERPOL file about the corruption scandal involving the Cranes in Marrakech, Morocco looked like. Someone is disturbing the peace of a former senior Police officer,” he said.
Kasingye maintained that criticism of foreign leagues should not be used to blame Ugandans who support international clubs.
“The enemies of Ugandan local football are not those who support Arsenal, ManU, Liverpool or Chelsea. They are those who run Ugandan football,” he said.
