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This transformative concept aims to provide players with the opportunity to be registered by two clubs in two different leagues simultaneously, the Uganda Premier League, and FUFA Big League.
Ugandan football governing body, FUFA President, Moses Hashim Magogo has unveiled an innovative proposal to introduce double licensing to the country’s top two football leagues.
This transformative concept aims to provide players with the opportunity to be registered by two clubs in two different leagues simultaneously, the Uganda Premier League, and FUFA Big League.
The initiative to be driven by the Elite Player Development Project (EFDP) means that a player can hold two licenses, enabling them to represent both a team in the UPL and another in the Big League.
Double licensing will be open to players below the age of twenty (20), who will fall within a pool of 80 potential elite players selected from the FUFA Juniors league and other youth competitions.
Every UPL club will have a maximum of five Elite players under EFDP, who must play at least 50% of the recognized official matches in a season played either in the top flight or Big League.
This approach aims to address a critical issue faced by talented players who struggle to secure adequate playing time in their UPL teams.
Recognizing the fundamental role of playing football in a player's development, Hon. Magogo emphasized the importance of creating avenues for players to gain invaluable experience.
"A footballer only develops by playing football,” Magogo explained during his weekly show on FUFA Radio called ‘Tutegeere Omupiira’.
“Based on that, we are going to introduce double licensing where a player can be registered by two clubs in two different leagues.”
"This is intended to avail playing time for players who may be good to play in the lower league but not getting playing time in their UPL teams,” Magogo elaborated.
The EFDP initiative encompasses a comprehensive range of objectives, including talent identification and scouting, player development, youth competitions, youth national teams, coaching direction, medical-science, and technology.
Through this initiative, the country can ensure that it produces the best version of players from its youth development avenues, that feeds into FUFA’s long term objective of taking the local game to the pinnacle of African football.
However, it is important to note that double licensing represents a significant departure from existing regulations.
FIFA statutes strictly prohibit dual registration, commonly known as playing for more than one club simultaneously, at all levels of football.
The prohibition further extends specifically to players under contract and are bound to a specific club for the duration of their contractual obligations.
While the implementation of double licensing holds the promise of revolutionizing player development and addressing the playing time disparity faced by talented individuals, it poses it unique challenges.
Challenges like who will hold the player’s obligation under contract, who will meet the liability in case of injury as well as how much strain will it put on the player’s physical demands or affect their recovery time.
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