Magogo’s Chan Reality Check Sparks Outrage

National football federation supremo Moses Magogo lit a fuse under already smouldering tensions this week when he publicly admitted that Uganda’s national team is far from the level required to beat continental giants like Algeria.

His post-match remarks, delivered via X (formerly Twitter), came in the wake of the Cranes’ 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Algeria in their opening African Nations Championship) Chan 2025 group match at Namboole Stadium.

“Every well-meaning Ugandan would love to see the Uganda Cranes beat Algeria,” Magogo wrote, “but we need to be very honest and realistic. Do we have players playing at the same level like their Algerian counterparts?”

At face value, it was a rare moment of brutal honesty. But for many fans, players, and football insiders, it came off as an abdication of responsibility—especially coming from the man who has presided over Uganda’s football landscape for over a decade and recently secured a fourth term unopposed after amending Fufa’s statutes to eliminate serious competition.

If the Uganda Premier League (UPL) is not producing talent at the level required to compete with Algeria, then who bears responsibility?

“The UPL is under Fufa’s watch,” one local football analyst said. “You can’t complain about the quality of the product when you’re the one running the factory.”

The Chan tournament, introduced by Caf in 2009, was designed to test precisely this: how well domestic leagues can nurture players ready for international duty. It excludes players based outside their home countries, thereby turning the spotlight on local talent development.

Magogo pointed to broader socio-economic challenges as a limiting factor.

“As fans who want Uganda to beat Algeria in Chan, do you watch league games?” he asked. “If you don’t, clubs will not get the funds to pay these players and/or keep their best players who are lured away to play in leagues not stronger than ours but just for money.”

That point is not without merit. Uganda’s domestic football struggles with low match attendance, weak commercial sponsorship, and inconsistent broadcast deals.

Still, critics say it’s unfair to pin the blame on fans or clubs without offering a cohesive development strategy or showing clear improvement during Magogo’s reign.

Magogo himself is accused of cutting off all feeding tubes from local football to create an Alpha and Omega syndrome with himself as the Big Daddy upon which every club stays alive. There are hardly any clubs that can step out of Magogo’s shadows to determine own affairs – bar perhaps Vipers and KCCA.

The Uganda Premier League was supposed to be professionally run independent of Fufa and the UPL Secretariat is indeed in place for that. But unlike in professional settings like the English Premier League, ours is not even close to being a joke yet – it is that bad!

A prominent Uganda Cranes player, speaking on condition of anonymity, highlighted Senegal as a counterexample. Despite the fact that Senegalese clubs haven’t made a serious mark on Caf competitions in years, the national team remains dominant, even in Chan.

Senegal are the reigning Chan champions, having won the 2022 edition with locally-based players. Their clubs often exit early in Caf competitions, but their local league still produces high-calibre athletes ready for national duty.

The implication? Club success in Caf is not the only marker of national team strength. What matters more is structure, coaching, and the technical level of domestic competition.

Ugandan clubs have also shown that success is possible. In May 2018, under coach Mike Mutebi, KCCA stunned record Caf Champions League winners Al Ahly 2-0 at Namboole. That squad featured a core of locally groomed players who dominated Ugandan football and were beginning to earn regional respect.

“This wasn’t a fluke,” said a retired Cranes international. “It was a result of deliberate planning, faith in youth, and tactical maturity. We’ve seen the potential. It just hasn’t been sustained.”

The backlash to Magogo’s post was swift. “Magogo, don’t wish us away,” said Kenneth Omona, State Minister for Northern Uganda. “Let’s not waste time there? Then why did we participate? Let’s only fix ourselves every day—we shall get there.”

Indeed, it is the job of a federation president to inspire hope, especially after a defeat. And if Uganda was good enough to qualify as hosts of Chan 2025, then they ought to be good enough to compete.

Magogo later walked back the tone of his remarks, adding: “We still have three more games to play in this group and if we win them all, the team can still advance. Our players need your support at this moment more than ever.”

Uganda next faces Guinea on Friday, followed by ties against South Africa and Niger. Fellow hosts Kenya and Tanzania have both impressed, with Kenya beating DR Congo and Tanzania posting two straight wins against Burkina Faso and Mauritania.

This raises a critical question: If our East African neighbours can rise to the challenge, why not Uganda?

Improving Ugandan football requires more than tweets, blame-shifting, or rhetorical realism. It demands strategic investment in youth academies, coaching education, league professionalism, and player welfare.

Until then, Chan will remain not just a tournament Uganda struggles in—but a mirror reflecting our structural football failings.