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Bunyaga, Massa make an early case for controversial double licensing
Bruno Bunyanga is one of the players benefiting from the double licensing. PHOTO/COURTSEY
What you need to know:
Mwebe admits that the system still has some challenges, which he believes will be sorted, this being a pioneer project, but urges stakeholders to look at the positives.
Youngster Bruno Bunyaga joined URA from Bushenyi Veterans in January. A promising youngster who had started making waves with Buddu in the Masaza Cup and St. Lawrence University in the University Football League. The 19-year-old emerged top scorer in both competitions last year before crossing over to the Tax Collectors.
However, playing time has been hard to come by as the demands of the StarTimes Uganda Premier League forced coaches Sam Timbe (RIP) and Fred Muhumuza to use him sparingly.
Second option
Under the departed Timbe, Bunyaga managed only four minutes in two games; came in the 86th minute for Saidi Kyeyune in their 2-1 win over Wakiso Giants and in the second minute of additional time for Ibrahim Dada Juma in their goalless draw against Arua Hill, both in April.
“We are aware of what he can offer but if you rush him, you may lose him. We want him to build the confidence which he is steadily getting and know by the time we decide to unleash him fully, he will be good to go,” Timbe explained to the club media in April.
Indeed, Bunyaga has not been rushed, as coach Muhumuza also preferred his predecessor’s approach.
Playing time
He has not fielded him in any game but the striker is now a beneficiary of the new Fufa double-licensing system.
While selling the idea to the football fraternity, Fufa president Moses Magogo argued that the system is meant to avail more playing time to players.
“A footballer only develops by playing football,” Magogo sold his idea during his show at Fufa FM, explaining, “Based on that, we are going to introduce double licensing where two clubs can register a player in two different leagues.”
Opportunity
Bunyaga and a few of the youngsters who have jumped on this opportunity are already flashing signs of success.
The striker has so far scored thrice in two appearances for newcomers Kiyinda Boys from Mityana and is leading the scorers’ chart.
“I am grateful for this new rule by Fufa as it’s helping me get more playing time which I haven’t been getting at URA,” Buyaga said, adding that, “It (scoring goals) motivates and gives me confidence when I return to my parent club URA.”
Bunyaga has featured prominently for Kiyinda Boys together with Justin Opiro, Ronald Andabati and teenage left-back Amis Bwangani.
A stitch in time
Fred Massa, a nephew to former Uganda Cranes captain Geoffrey Massa, made headlines during his early teenage years in the Fufa Junior League and then disappeared along the way.
The striker has tried to find his course at Busoga United but hasn’t been successful three years on. He was recently enlisted under the same system in a partnership between the club and Kyetume where he seems to have found his mojo striking twice in three games.
Fufa Development Director Ali Mwebe says more youngsters will benefit from this as he points to the curious case of Ivan Asaba.
“It’s new and sometimes we do react to change differently but at least players like Bunyaga are a good case study. I understand that one of our promising players [Ivan] Asaba left the game to do other businesses because he wasn’t getting playing time; we believe this system will help,” Mwebe says.
Ivan Asaba was among the team that took Uganda to the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 2019. He was also part of the U-20 team that reached the Afcon final in 2021.
Twin license
According to the new regulations under the 2023 Competitions Rules, a player below 22 years is eligible for double licensing or a twin license to don two jerseys concurrently.
His first club is referred to as a primary owner, where he has a contractual obligation and the other the secondary owner. The two clubs cannot be from the same tier.
The rules provide that the twin license is valid for half a season and can be either renewed or not. The player cannot be allowed to join any other secondary owner in the same season. This beats the reasoning behind issuing the half-season licences.
Dilemma
Fufa has made the requirement mandatory to all the StarTimes Uganda Premier League clubs that for every five normal players that they sign, the sixth one must have a twin license.
This has left most clubs, especially those that finished the registration of players early, in confusion.
“It’s a good idea but the timing is the issue,” Bul’s chairman Ronald Barente told Score.
According to the chairman, the club finished their transfer business in time registering a total of 32 players.
The new rules also dictate that a UPL club can only sign up to 30 players with a cap of eight non-Ugandans.
Putting that in mind and the double-licensing system, a UPL club that is not engaged in Caf can only sign a maximum of 25 normal players. That leaves the extra players signed by most UPL players hanging in balance with the club not sure whether to sack them and be accused of breaching the contractual obligations or keep them in redundant mode.
The coaches are also finding it hard to balance between giving the players opportunities or focusing on their original programmes in which they signed players specifically to suit their systems to deliver the results.
“It’s a good system because we give the young players a chance, but sometimes we may be forced to focus on our own regular players because they’re committed [to the cause] and we are [sure] they will be around at any time,” Simon Mugerwa, Police’s coach explains the challenges coaches may be facing.
Circumventing the law?
That said, there’s still a cloud of uncertainty over the legality of the system as regards its conformity to the Fifa regulations.
Article 5.1 of the Fifa regulations on the status and transfer of players states that “A player may only be registered with one club at a time.” Until last season, Fufa had the same clause.
To ensure this is followed, Fifa created the Transfer Matching System that the member associations use to register players, coaches and referees with a unique ID. According to one club administrator who preferred anonymity, the federation accepts a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two clubs and then issues a temporary license.
That means the records in the system won’t reflect the players' records at the secondary club.
Fifa dictates that any “national transfer must be entered in the electronic domestic transfer system each time a player is to be registered with a new club within the same association.
“Any registration of a player for a new club without the use of the electronic domestic transfer system will be invalid.”
Additionally, Fifa bars players from playing for more than two clubs in a single season, raising the question of whether a player can easily move to a club outside Uganda without the move being challenged, at least legally.
Unique situation
Most countries opt for the reserve and under-age leagues to solve the issue of playing time. Previously, all the Fufa Junior League players were allowed to feature for their senior teams at the same time.
Mwebe admits that the system still has some challenges, which he believes will be sorted, this being a pioneer project, but urges stakeholders to look at the positives.
“It’s a bit challenging but we’re trying to device means to make it work,” Mwebe admits.
“Every country has a unique situation and every country is allowed [by Fifa] to regulate. Our executive committee sat and decided we should take this route to save the careers of the talents sitting on the bench.
“We could have opted for the under-20 league but, again, clubs will complain about the costs,” Mwebe adds.
For now, several players are relishing the opportunity. A number of clubs agree with Fufa’s idea, while some are simply partnering with regional and district teams to circumvent the rules.
UPL players playing for betPawa Big League under the double licensing
Busoga United - Hussein Ssajjabbi, Stephen Odongo, Moses Logono, Fred Massa (all at Kyetume)
URA - Ronald Mawa ,Bruno Junior Bunyaga, Justine Opiro, Amisi Bwangani, Shariph Kimbowa (all at Kiyinda) & Emmanuel Janan Okech (Blacks Power)
Bul - Shafik Nana Kwikiriza, Gerald Ogweti, John Okurut (Mbale Heroes)
Nec - Ivan Kamoga (Booma)
Kitara – Shafiq Magogo
Gaddafi - Yusuf Bogere & Jimmy Ndalambi (Jinja North), Abdu Magada & Herbert Onyango (Lugazi), Mohammedi Nsereko (Kaaro Karungi)
Maroons - Sula Mpanga (Jinja North)
Arua Hill - Brian Junior Omirambe, Kerepi Jafar, Haron Ringe & John Rogers (Blacks Power), Swadik Moro (Calvary), Ahumuza Wyclif (Booma)
Express - Steven Timothy Senfuma & Ashraf Mbazira (Kigezi Home Boyz)
KCCA - Faisal Wabyoona, Ibrahim Juma, Elvis Mwanje & Joseph Ogwang (all at Police)
