By Norman Isaac Mwambazi
The Uganda U-20 football team that is nicknamed the Uganda Hippos touched down in Uganda yesterday a few minutes past midday after exceeding everyone’s expectations in the recently concluded Total African Cup of Nations (AFCON) U-20 tournament that was held in Mauritania.
The Uganda Hippos put up a spectacular display in the tournament where they were debutants and underdogs but managed to make it to the final of the tournament. Although they lost 2 – 0 to tournament winners Ghana in the final, the boys surely feel like winners. Forward Derrick Kakooza won the golden boot of the tournament with five goals.
This morning, the 40-man continent of the Uganda Hippos was hosted by the football governing body Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) for a luncheon at Imperial Golf View Hotel in Entebbe.
At the luncheon, FUFA has offered each of the 40 members of the squad that travelled to Mauritania $4000 (about Shs1.6 million) as a token of appreciation for their performance in the tournament.
While speaking at the event, FUFA President Eng. Moses Magogo thanked the players and the coaches for the work well done and emphasized that this is a work in progress and hopes the country can achieve even more in the coming tournaments.
“I thank all the players, technical committee members and other support staff who have worked with the U-20 team at the Total AFCON U-20 tournament in Mauritania. It remains a work in progress,” Magogo said.
Magogo also thanked the Uganda Premier League (UPL) clubs that have nurtured the talents of these boys and used the same time to say that Uganda Hippos coach Morley Byekwaso has been included in the group of 10 coaches whose development will be supported by FUFA.
“Morley Byekwaso and Simeon Massa qualify among the 10 coaches that FUFA has identified for a pilot project of development. We thank the UPL clubs that have given these young players the opportunity to play and compete,” Magogo said.
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