The Uganda Cranes were on Wednesday evening hosted to dinner at State House Entebbe by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and First Lady Janet Museveni, who also serves as Minister of Education and Sports. The event offered an opportunity for the President to address the team, commend their recent achievements, and lay out his vision for sports in Uganda.
In his address, President Museveni recalled his own youth when he played football and cricket. He said sports instill discipline, teamwork and persistence — qualities that he said Uganda must apply in nation‐building. “You have shown great improvement,” he told the players, “you have made Uganda proud.”
He further observed that Uganda is demonstrating to the world what it is capable of, and stressed that what is needed now is proper planning for sports development. Emphasising that sports must begin with health and nutrition, Museveni said that strong athletes come from children who are immunised and well fed.
The President also issued a directive: no school should be licensed without a sports field. He framed this as a matter of policy and organisation rather than resources. He pledged that the government will continue constructing and upgrading sports facilities across the country, citing the work done with Namboole Stadium as an example.
Museveni underscored the need to support young talents via institutions such as the Police and the Army, giving them both jobs and opportunities to train and compete. He likened Uganda’s football strategy in the game against South Africa to governance, saying consistent pressure forces opponents into mistakes that can be turned into opportunities. He stressed that strategy, positioning, and discipline are essential both on the football field and in broader contexts.
Addressing a specific shortcoming, the President challenged the team’s goalkeeper to account for conceding a goal into an empty net — a moment he said illustrated how defensive positioning had failed. He used the example to reinforce his earlier point: proper strategy and discipline are essential.
First Lady and the Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Kataaha Museveni, in her remarks, reflected on the success of CHAN 2024, noting contributions from the Local Organising Committee, 350 volunteers, 500 stewards, and security agencies. She said CHAN 2024 was not simply a tournament but a rehearsal for AFCON 2027, calling for the team to build on strengths and address weaknesses. She praised the renovation of Namboole Stadium as a source of national pride, adding that maintaining infrastructure is far less costly than rebuilding after neglect.
Janet Museveni also observed that Uganda has made history: hosting a continental football tournament for the first time, and for the first time, the Cranes advancing to the quarter‐finals. She said sports is not only about competition but an important driver of tourism, unity, and economic growth. As one example she cited that July 2024 recorded the highest passenger traffic in the history of Entebbe Airport, a rise she attributed in part to CHAN.
- abk news network
