Exclusive: “It's Mythical,” - Legend Obua On Why Uganda Premier League is Far From Being Termed ‘Professional’

Juxtaposing to their regional neighbors in Kenya and Tanzania, the Uganda Premier League, which is the country's top football league, continues to struggle with making the levels that can render it professional, despite it's 55 years of existence.

Issues ranging from financial constraints, improper administrative structures, to infrastructure, among others, have induced the recurring damage to the league. Yet, the topmost brass have equally struggled to identify significant touches that can fully set the ball in motion for the better.

David Obua, who is both a Uganda Premier League and national team legend, is convinced the pending issues are human made and can be dealt with, for drastic impactful changes.

THE RECURRING SABOTAGES 

Obua feels that the Uganda Premier League secretariat and the football honchos in the country have failed to establish intentional avenues that the clubs can exploit to ensure financial reliance and stability.

“To run sport, and football in this case, clubs need to have an overflow of funds, and it's not rocket science to establish this,” the 40-year-old began, in an exclusive interview with SportsBoom.com. “Professionalism in football without money can only stay mythical,” he added.

“I am a very respectful person, so I won't call out anyone, but some of the people that occupy these football offices, even at the respective clubs, are either incompetent or unintentional. There has been no real effort to attract money into the league. I haven't seen plans that can alter the status quo to be honest.

“While FUFA (local football governing body) has done incredibly well to attract money from the government to the national teams, they have seemingly left the league bare. It's deceptive to think we can have a quality national senior team when the league, which is supposed to be the feeder, is struggling,” the former Kaizer Chiefs and Hearts of Midlothian player added.

“The guys running the league and the clubs have to draw lasting plans and solutions, not just the short-term seasonal stuff that many do, and this is in terms of minting funds. That way, we can dream of professionalizing our clubs and the league.”

NONEXISTENT ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURES

Formerly a coach at Uganda Premier League sides URA and Maroons, Obua further thinks that there are still loopholes in how the league and clubs are run administratively, alluding to the lack of working structures.

“In my country, it's either or two to three people that literally do everything at the clubs or even at the bigger levels. The rest of the guys are puppets that have zero say in how operations happen and this is a serious disease to football,” he underlined.

“Football can't be run with the one-man syndrome thing. It's a team sport right from the offices to the pitch, it needs collective effort to ensure efficiency. When one or two people assume all the powers and responsibilities, a lot will miss from being done, and a number of ideas will never be exploited.

“Elsewhere, clubs have well-drawn and defined structures and are never undermined. We cannot claim to be running a professional league when these things are nonexistent. It's self-deception and it can only continue biting into an existing wound, it leaves us lagging far behind,” Obua added.

INFRASTRUCTURAL CRISIS - AN AGING PATTERN

Ugandan clubs harbour some of the most substandard infrastructure and this is a story that has existed for ages. Obua thinks the tale has grown into a boring one, and that it's high time an intentional solution or plan got initiated.

“The infrastructure in terms of the stadiums, pitches, training grounds and the like, are all sickening. It's again, mythical to think you're running a professional league where the infrastructure is not even average,” he underlined.

“We can do a lot better than allowing a match at pitch without proper drainage systems. I've witnessed matches getting played at waterlogged surfaces. Last season for example, I witnessed a match that was played with almost no lights past 7pm.

“The people running the League have to raise the standards higher, if we're to start the talk of professionalism. Football in this country has to be respected if we think it can grow to the heights that many of us have longed for years,” he added.

LEAGUE QUALITY TAKING A TOLL ON THE PLAYERS

“Subsequently, the biggest number of players that are produced in an amateur setting will reflect on the national team, or when they leave the country to well established football leagues,” Obua asserted.

“It's evident with the Cranes (national senior team) that during the different summons, the biggest percentage is of players that play abroad, which is different to Tanzania, for example. This is because our league is not trusted with being the feeder, and this causes for serious worry.

“A well run league and a professional one with the right structures will definitely mean a strong national team, I have no doubts about that. The top guys have to rethink through some of the operations and decisions, this will impact football in Uganda, generally,” Obua, who is regarded as one of the best players in the country's history, concluded.

Uganda, along with Kenya and Tanzania, are set to host the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), which features players in the local leagues. It'll be interesting to see how the Uganda Premier League players will fare against players from the various leagues across the continent.