Uganda will likely play its upcoming World Cup qualifiers games in neighbouring countries due to the lack of an international standard football stadium, Sports minister Hamson Obua has said.
"In the circumstances, Uganda only has St Mary's Kitende and if the team of inspectors who are currently doing inspection for the World Cup qualifiers do not approve it. I want to put the country on notice that the country will have no choice but to host all our World Cup qualifiers in one of the countries outside Uganda," Obua told MPs.
His response was prompted by Silas Aogon, the Kumi Municipality MP, who tasked the Education and Sports ministry to respond to media reports that Uganda does not have a stadium to host international World Cup qualifiers following the Namboole ban.
"I have seen in that media that FIFA has put a ban on activities in Namboole most especially hosting international games. This perturbs because it comes at the time our icon [Cranes captain] Denis Onyango is retiring, does it mean government is retiring supporting Namboole? What is taking place in Namboole, I thought Namboole is a facility that generates its own money," Aagon said.
In May last year, the Confederation of African Federation (CAF) and Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) disqualified the Mandela National Stadium from hosting the forthcoming 2022 World Cup qualifiers, saying the facility is substandard.
The football bodies found the pitch, toilets, pavilion and dressing rooms in Namboole in very bad shape - recommending total renovation. Namboole the country's biggest stadium has been the home ground for the national team, the Uganda Cranes since 2002.
The only option left for Uganda is the privately-owned St Mary's Stadium in Kitende. Although Kitende passed the CAF standards for the Africa Nations Cup (Afcon) games, it is yet to get a node for the World Cup games. Cranes are lined up to play Mali, Kenya and Rwanda in Group E in home and away games.
Obua said that government now needs about Shs 96 billion to renovate Namboole. He, however, says that time has already run out even if the money is released and they are currently waiting for the approval of St Mary's stadium.
Following the ban on Namboole last year, the Education and Sports minister, Janet Museveni wrote to the Works and Transport ministry to constitute a team to conduct a needs assessment and upgrade of the stadium.
Obua said that the ministry included what Mandela requires in short term in this year's budget but it falls under unfunded priorities because the indicative planning figures could not accommodate the Shs 96 billion needed for the facility.
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