Goals, despair and Glory: A journey into the rich tapestry of Ugandan football @100 years

Fufa celebrated 100 years of existence on Friday as a prelude to the centurion annual general meeting in Wakiso District. However, Ugandan football history dates back to the 19th century when it was first introduced by missionaries. We dig into this storied past in this timeline of events, capturing iconic players, clubs, national teams and landmark events that have shaped the game in Uganda.1897: British missionary Robert Henry Walker imported the first football to Uganda from England. His fellow missionary George Lawrence Pilkington coached the first players at Mengo Senior School.1900: Another missionary Alexander Gordon Fraser imports the second ball in and lays out the first standard pitch at Kings College Budo in 1904.1922: The first unofficial Uganda Cranes squad is formed.1924: Kampala Football Association (KFA) formed. First recognized tournament, the Kabaka’s Cup was played and presented by Kabaka Daudi Chwa II, the first Fufa president.1926: Kabaka of Buganda, Mutesa II donates land to establish Nakivubo Stadium; Uganda Cranes and National U-18 play first match on April 1.1926: Cecafa was formed, Uganda lost to Kenya 2-1 in Kenya on May 1.1928: Uganda host first international match/tournament, Cecafa Cup (then known as Gossage Cup); lose to Kenya1930: Uganda win first football match; beat Kenya 5-0 in Kampala1950:  Kampala FA becomes Uganda Football Association (UFA).1956: Uganda heads to England for a maiden overseas tour where the team defeats the British Olympic XI 2-1.1959: Fufa affiliates with Uganda and International Olympics; plays the first qualifier in November 1959 losing twice to Sudan and one win and draw against Ethiopia1960: Fufa affiliates with Fifa; -Dan Nkata becomes Uganda’s first Fifa centre referee. 1961:  Fufa becomes Caf member and Uganda Cranes play first Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on August 5; goes on to beat Kenya 4-0 after three rounds1962: Uganda debut at the Afcon, finishing fourth out of four; Referee Wilson Brooks becomes the first man from Uganda to officiate at Afcon; John Lunyenyezi scores Uganda’s first ever goal on January 18.1963: Samuel Wamala (RIP), the head of the KCC’s Sewage Works section in the City Engineering Department, starts KCC FC (now KCCA) on 12 April 1963.1964: National Council Sports Act Cap. 58 signed into law to govern sports activities.1965: KCC under coach Bidandi Ssali joined Kampala District Football League (KDFL) and earned promotion to third division South.1966:  – Englishman Albert Garnet Rogers (RIP), becomes first official and foreign Uganda Cranes coach1967: Ufa changes to Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa); Uganda qualify for Afcon 1968 on June 30 after her opponent Egypt withdraws due to war1968: Introduction of the National First Division League (now Uganda Premier League) comprising eight teams namely: Prisons (now Maroons), Army, Coffee, Express, Jinja, Masaka, Mbarara, and Mbale. Maroons won their maiden title.1969 – Express splits and leads to the informal formation of Nakivubo Boys1970: Prisons becomes the first Uganda Club representative to play at Caf1971:  Uganda Cup is formed; Coffee beat Simba 2-1 to win maiden title
Prime Minister Cosmas Adyebo (in black suit) arrives at Nakivubo for a game. 
1972 – National league suspended for two years due to civil unrest.1972 – Simba (now UPDF) becomes first Ugandan club to reach the final of the African Cup of Champions Clubs (now Caf Champions League)1973 – Fufa officially joins newly-revamped Cecafa as founding member1974 – Cranes return to Afcon; eliminated in groups.1974 - KCC debuted in the National League and finished second.1976 – KCC win maiden league title1976 – Cranes qualify for back-to-back Afcons for the first time; eliminated in groups.1977 - Express defeated Simba 2–0. They were subsequently banned for allegedly being involved in anti-government activities by the Governor of the Central Province Col. Abdallah Nasur (also National Council of Sports chairman) who was unhappy about his side’s loss.1978 – KCC beat Tanzania’s Simba to become the first Ugandan club to win the Cecafa Club championship.1978 – KCC reach quarterfinals of African Cup of Champions Clubs (now Caf Champions League) losing out to Enugu Rangers (Nigeria). They matched it in 1982.1978 – Uganda earn first win in Afcon after beating Congo 3-0 on March 6. Philip Omondi, Edward Ssemwanga and Godfrey Kisitu scored. The team tops the group and advances to knockouts for the first time.1978 – Uganda Cranes win silver at Afcon after losing to Ghana 2-0 in the final on March 16 in Accra. Philip Omondi emerges joint-top scorer alongside Ghanaian Opoku Afriyie and Nigerian Segun Odegbami with three goals each.1979 - Nakivubo Boys that regrouped again in 1976, earns promotion to the topflight.1981 - Nakivubo Boys renamed SC Villa.1982 – Villa win their first of record 17 league titles.1983 – Villa reach quarterfinals on their Caf Champions League debut.1983 – Issa Ssekatawa becomes the first player to win the league’s golden boot three times in a row; Hassan Mubiru (2000-2003) is the only other.1984 – Uganda plays her first World Cup qualification, losing 3-1 to Zambia in 1986 qualifiers; Godfrey Kateregga scores the first Ugandan goal.1985 – Express win the first of their record 10 Uganda Cups.1985 – Villa lures petroleum giants Agip in the first official shirt sponsorship in Uganda1986 - Polly Ouma and Timothy Ayiekoh’s Villa welcome President Yoweri Museveni and NRM with the first ever domestic league and Uganda Cup double.1986 - National post-primaries football games launched with UTV as sponsor; changes to NPP cup in 1993, Copa Coca Cola in 1996 and USSSA in 2022.1988 – Villa’s Englishman Geoff Hudson becomes first foreign coach to manage a Ugandan club. He became the first foreign coach to win a local double with Villa in 1988 and 1989.1991 – Magid Musisi becomes first Ugandan player to score a century of league goals; He also becomes first and only player to win the league’s golden boot four times.1990 - On July 7, President Museveni laid the cornerstone at Namboole to kick-start construction.1991 – Villa become second Ugandan club to reach the final of Caf Champions League, lose the title to Tunisia’s Club Africain.1992 – Villa reach final of the Caf Abiola Cup.1992 - Magid Musisi joins French side Stade Rennes to become the first Ugandan footballer to be signed for a European club on July 1. Villa received $180,000.1993 – Construction of Namboole Stadium starts on April 29.1995 - Catherine Adipo becomes first female Fifa referee from Uganda.1995 – Express under Jimmy Muguwa win their first and only domestic double and reach semifinals of Caf Confederation Cup losing to Orlando Pirates.1997 – KCC reach semifinals of the defunct Caf Cup losing to Esperance from Tunisia 9-1.1998 – Crested Cranes play their first official international match in a 1-1 draw against Egypt in Cairo in an Awcon 1998 qualifier on March 291998 – Fufa host first official international women’s match as Crested Cranes lose 1-0 to Egypt in the return leg at Nakivubo. Paul Ssali was the coach.1998: South Africa president Nelson Mandela visits Namboole Stadium named after him.1999: Namboole Stadium is officially opened on January 26.1999: Andrew ‘Fimbo’ Mukasa sets a record for most league goals scored in a season (45).1999: President Museveni plays his first football game in public and scores as his cabinet beat Fufa 3-1 at Namboole on October 16.1999 – Uganda’s greatest footballer ever Philip Omondi passes away on April 21.2000- Crested Cranes qualifier for their maiden Awcon on August 13 after their opponent DR Congo withdraw.2000 – Caf slaps Uganda with a $2,000 after the Cranes dressed a replica of the Inter Milan shirt with Pirelli logo at Cecafa games at the regional Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup inviting aUS$2, 000 fine (then Shs3.5m) from continental body Caf.2000 – Adipo becomes Uganda’s first female referee at the Awcon on November 15 as she officiates Nigeria’s Super Falcons 6-0 thumping of Morocco. She returned in 2002 and 2004.2002: Construction of Fufa Technical Centre, Njeru starts.-       Coached by Sam Timbe (RIP), the team debuted with a 2-2 draw against Zimbabwe. Alaisa Nakawagi and Robina Nakintu scored Uganda’s first ever goals. 2003 – The biggest matc-fixing scadal rocks Uganda as Villa beat Akol 22-1 on August 27 in controversial circumstances. Akol goalkeeper Peter Agong dies minutes before testifying before a probe team set up by the National Football League Committee.2004 - Fufa President Denis Obua dissolves executive committee and orders new elections amidst protests.2005 – Fufa Chaos; February 2 - Government suspends Fufa amid allegations of corruption; February 18 – Obua resigns; April 1 –Obua arrested; May 1 – Fifa appoint normalization committee headed by Dr. James Ssekajugo to run Fufa.2005 – Magid Musisi dies on December 3 after a long illness.2007 – David Obua scores a hat-trick for Cranes in the 2007 Afcon qualifier at Namboole on September 8. No player has ever matched that since then; He also scored the winner in a 2-1 over Nigeria in the same qualifiers.2008: Construction of Fufa House.2009 – Fufa Big League is introduced with two groups; Gulu United, Maroons and UTODA gained promotion to the topflight.2010 - The Jinja Declaration that seeks to create harmony between Fufa and clubs and professionalize club football is signed on January 3 in Jinja.2010 - President Museveni and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon play in a friendly match at Namboole on May 30 to promote War Victims Day.2011 – Uganda debut at the African Nations Championship on February 5; goes on to qualify for a record seven.2012 - Red Bull Salzburg’s Ibrahim Sekagya becomes the first African to captain a European club to a League and Cup double.2012 - Uganda Premier League chaos; Two parallel leagues, Uganda Super and the Fufa Super League are formed; KCC win the latter while Maroons win the former.2013 – A cabinet meeting chaired by the second deputy Prime Minister Henry Kajura, on May 8 declare that only one league will exist from 2013/14 season; kicks off on September 19.2014 - The Fufa Junior League is launched; Kampala Junior Team (KJT) crowned inaugural winners.2015 – The Fufa Women Elite League is founded; Kawempe win the first of a record-four in a row.2015 – Villa mark 40 years; President Museveni gifts club the second bus after first one in 2003.2015 - Faruku Miya wins the first Fufa Player of the year award.2016 – Onduparaka’s striker Muhammad Shaban controversially beats Onyango to player of the year award.2016 - Hassifa Nassuna wins inaugural Fufa Female best player of the year.2016: Farouk Miya scores on September 4 as Uganda beat Comoros 1-0 to qualify for the 2017 Afcon after a 39-year absence from the continent.2016:  Farouk Miya joins Belgian club Standard Liège from Vipers in January for a fee of $400,000.2016: Uganda Hippos banned from the 2017 Under-20 Afcon qualifiers for fielding an ineligible player.2016: Denis Onyango becomes the first Ugandan to win the Caf Champions League title on October 23; named in Caf team of the year 2016 & 20182017: KCCA, under Mike Mutebi, win their first and only domestic double and become first Ugandan club to reach group stage of Caf Confederation.2017:  Onyango becomes the first Ugandan and goalkeeper to be crowned African African Player of the year on January 5.
Current Fufa president Moses Magogo (R) is ushered in by his predecessor Lawarnce Mulindwa (in suit). 
2018 - KCCA become first Ugandan club to reach group stage of Caf Champions League.2019 – Uganda qualify out of group stages at Afcon for the second time.2019 - Uganda U17 girls’ crowned champions of the inaugural Cecafa and Cosafa U17 tournaments.2019 - Uganda Cubs debut at the U17 Afcon in Tanzania on April 17. 2021 – Uganda Hippos win silver at the U-20 Afcon in Mauritania after losing 2-0 to Ghana in the final.2021 – Lady Doves become the first Ugandan female club to play in a Caf international fixture; they debut at the CAF Women's Champions League – Cecafa qualifiers.2022 – Hassifa Nassuna becomes the first female player to score a century of league goals on May 11.2023 – Vipers under Alex Isabirye win their first and only domestic double.2023 – President Museveni signs The National Sports Bill 2023 into law.2023 – Onyango wins a record 10th league title in South Africa.2023 – Caf announce Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania’s as joint hosts of Afcon 2027.2024 – Nakivubo Stadium is reopened after upgrade and renamed Hamz Stadium.