Uganda Cranes get UGX12.5bn boost as gov’t unveils UGX122bn plan for AFCON 2027 preparations

The Ugandan government has unveiled a major financial boost to football development, allocating billions of shillings to support the national team and domestic clubs as preparations intensify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

According to Bernard Ogwel, General Secretary of the National Council of Sports, the Federation of Uganda Football Associations will receive an additional UGX12.5 billion to directly support Uganda Cranes, Uganda national football team.

Ogwel revealed the funding while appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Education and Sports to present the 2026/27 Ministerial Policy Statement.

“In terms of our readiness to participate in the games [AFCON 2027], these funds… are directed to the national team of Uganda because we don’t want to only provide infrastructure and our national team is not supported,” he said.

In a significant policy shift, government will also extend financial support to domestic clubs, with teams in the Uganda Premier League set to share UGX5.5 billion in grants. Officials say the move recognizes the critical role local clubs play in nurturing talent for the national team.

“This won’t be the case like in the past where government had never given money directly to clubs… because these very domestic clubs produce players that represent Uganda,” the Council told legislators.

The funding forms part of a broader UGX122.8 billion budget allocated to the AFCON 2027 Local Organising Committee to prepare the Uganda Cranes for the continental showpiece, which Uganda will co-host.

Breakdown of the allocation shows a strategic focus on talent development and performance monitoring. Government has earmarked UGX1.5 billion for the naturalisation of foreign-based players eligible to represent Uganda, while UGX3.6 billion will go towards specialised training programmes for players in the diaspora.

Additionally, UGX1.7 billion has been set aside for acquisition of modern technology to track and analyse player performance during training.

Sports analysts say the funding marks a shift toward a more holistic preparation strategy, combining infrastructure development with direct investment in players and grassroots systems.

With the countdown to AFCON 2027 underway, the financial injection is expected to boost competitiveness of the Uganda Cranes while strengthening the domestic league pipeline that feeds the national team.