By the time the majority walked out of the MTN headquarters at noon on Thursday, just a few had noticed that it is exactly a year before East Africa hosts the 36th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania will co-host the tournament, which will mark the 70th anniversary of the showpiece, from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
To match the timelines, local soccer body Fufa and its partner telecom MTN launched a captivating campaign for Uganda dubbed This is a nationwide campaign which will attract creative Ugandans to compete in designing the Uganda Cranes’ jersey that will be donned during Afcon next June.
‘The most loved sport in Uganda is football and the greatest fire of our fans, of the Ugandans, is football,’ first Fufa vice-president Justus Mugisha remarked during the campaign launch.
‘We also know that the main uniting factor of the Ugandans is football. We thought, together with our partners, that the jersey, should not be designed by Fufa, not even our partners but the fans who have a lot of fire.’
The idea is conceptualized off MTN’s Free Your Fire platform that seeks to transform supporters from spectators into creators by giving them a direct role in shaping one of the country’s most visible symbols of national identity.
‘We are asking Ugandans to free their fire in terms of designing what will be selecting the next Cranes’ jersey,’ said MTN manager of sponsorships and events John Paul Okwi.
‘So creatives out there, what idea do you have? What do you have in your soul? Effective June 22, the (online competition) portal will be open. And you’ll upload jpeg images, sign up for some terms and conditions,’ Okwi explained the mechanics.
The competition will run for a period of three weeks, accompanied with guidance on logos and their placement as well as any legal implications and conditions of participation.
‘A panel of judges will be able to select seven final selected jerseys based on the criteria shared. Every participant will be informed for purposes of governance and accountability.
The seven finalists will be invited for a three-day boot camp, and their ideas will be subjected to a refinement by graphics designers to move their visualizations onto a digital template.
They will be mentored to make their designs richer with national elements before making final works and one lucky designer with the selected jersey will receive a token of Shs50m from MTN and the other six will have consolation prizes.
‘It is said that everything was once an idea,’ said Fufa CEO Edgar Watson. ‘Art is a free expression, there is no right or wrong. There is no bad or good but how you express yourself is the best in art,’ the former Cranes’ captain added.
During the event, there were artists who exhibited paintings about Uganda Cranes on canvas with pieces explained to the audience.
‘Our major colour was yellow and we were trying to play with the abstract, the Crested Cranes,’ artist Barnabas Odongkara explained one of the artworks.
‘Vuvuzela was initially out of South Africa culture, it made them stand out. For us as Uganda, we are the Cranes. A Crane has a unique feature, it has a crown and maybe that will identify us better. At least we have a set of identity,’ he added.
‘We have been able to express to the people around, what can motivate you to make something, symbolism, culture and nationality,’ Racheal Winnie Nakayenga detailed in her work.
The pair, alongside Kyambogo University student Bright Asiimwe and live painter Rolands Tibirusya are all considered ineligible for the campaign.
CRANES’ NOTEBOOK
Nickname: ‘The Cranes’
Association: Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa)
Global Fifa Ranking: 89th (1264.09 points)
Head coach: Paul Put
Captain: Khalid Aucho
Most caps: Godfrey Walusimbi (105)
Top scorer: Emmanuel Okwi (28)
Home stadium: Mandela National Stadium – Namboole
ABOUT AFCON
Full Name: Africa Cup of Nations
Founded: 1957; 69 years ago
2027 Host countries: Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda
Dates: June 19 – July 17, 2027
Teams: 24
Region: Africa
Teams: 24 (finals) | 54 (eligible to enter qualification)
Current champions: Morocco (2nd Title)
Most Championships: Egypt (7 Titles)