Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has promised a substantial cash reward for the national football team, the Uganda Cranes, ahead of their opening match in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024.
For every win the Cranes register in the tournament, Museveni has pledged a bonus of 1.2 billion Ugandan shillings.
The announcement was made public by the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) in a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, April 8.
“H.E. President of the Republic of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni sets the bar high,” FUFA wrote.
“The President has announced a massive winning bonus of 1.2 billion shillings per match for the team at CHAN 2024.”
FUFA President Moses Hassim Magogo relayed the pledge directly to the players at their national team camp, located at FUFA Hotel.
President Museveni’s offer comes as neighboring leaders also rally behind their teams with financial incentives. Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Kenya’s President William Ruto have made similar commitments to their respective national squads.
Uganda begins its CHAN 2024 campaign against Algeria tonight. The match kicks off at 8:00 PM local time at Namboole Stadium. Uganda has been drawn into a tough group that includes Algeria, Niger, Guinea, and South Africa.
In earlier fixtures, co-hosts Tanzania defeated Burkina Faso 2–0, while Kenya edged the Democratic Republic of Congo 1–0.
CHAN 2024 is the first edition of the tournament to be jointly hosted by three nations. Under the Pamoja bid, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania are sharing hosting duties—an unprecedented collaboration in the tournament’s history.
