Magogo comes unstuck after displaying a lack of emotional intelligence while online

Since they are always destined to face unsustainable headwinds, emotional intelligence has become a vital part of a leader’s toolkit. While this does not mean that a good leader makes it their business to do nothing, a thick skin represents the distillation of years of experience in leadership.

Open and minimal in almost equal measure, good leaders are known to starve fires (read conflicts) of oxygen. The texture they add to thought patterns – while impacting the led as a whole – is undeniable.

Moses Magogo has been Fufa president since August of 2013. Back then, many observers opined that Magogo’s presidency would go on to be famed for the ambiguous and metaphorical cliffhanger ending of his predecessor (Lawrence Mulindwa).

Rather than yield a charmless piece of dreck, Magogo’s presidency – whose durability, some say, shows no cracks – has come to be famed for riveting qualifications to Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in 2017 and 2019. The first of those – of course – shattered a nearly four-decade hoodoo. 

As expected, Magogo took particular delight in the back-to-back appearances at the big time. At his prompting, Magogo’s hangers-on gave him the very imperial title of ‘Fufa historical president.’

Whatever the title means, it has since been endlessly invoked for theatrical effect. Even if the successive Afcon appearances weren’t quite the knockout that the hangers-on claimed at the time, a cult of personality remains uncontested.

Consequently, Magogo has become accustomed to deflection and bluster. His every action seems to suggest a level of disdain for opponents. His strategy of evasion and mealy-mouthed excuses reveal him to be a man who wears lying lightly.

Indeed, an investigation by this newspaper last year drew a neat link between him and a company Uganda’s FA (Fufa) contracted to produce broadcast content for its competitions.

Magogo’s response to these damning revelations showed him to be macho and silly in equal measure. He spoke dismissively as is often the case on his radio programme – Tutegere Omupiira – where several sweeping statements and claims go uncontested.

This past week, when the subject of the dubious TV broadcast deal was brought up on a WhatsApp group to which Magogo is a party, Fufa’s imperial leader ended up doing himself appalling harm. Just to be clear, the platform in question is not your average Tutegere Omupiira whatever. It’s a collection of some of the finest brains and most eloquent voices on all things African football. It counts many seasoned African football journalists, administrators and coaches as its members.

To say that Magogo’s responses to claims levied against him were uncivil and uncouth is an understatement. He said one of the journalists that held him to account was in a “midlife crisis.” He went on to call this particular journalist and his colleague (both do a good job filing stories for this newspaper) “junkees” (sic) and “idiots.”

Magogo added, conclusively: “Anyway it has been nice sharing this platform. I have to give the other two idiots their space the (sic) practise their profession of hating…”

Lo and behold, he exited the group. Cranes head coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic followed him a few minutes later. Your columnist – who proved notably quiet as salvos were fired – couldn’t help but wish Ugandan football’s top official had not actively sought out bad press. Magogo has had many spats, but this for now stands out – much like a sore thumb – as his worst.

Where was the emotional intelligence?

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Twitter: @robertmadoi