Masaka City — Musician Bebe Cool has praised President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for supporting youth development after the Head of State officially opened the new El Cambio Football Academy training facility in Masaka City during his ongoing campaign tour of the Masaka sub-region.
Bebe Cool, who attended the event, said the academy represents a practical approach to empowering young people through sports, education and discipline.
“This academy is changing lives on and off the field. It combines education, football and character development, which is exactly what our young people need,” Bebe Cool said.
The academy was founded by Thomas Thor and is designed to nurture football talent while ensuring players receive formal education and strong moral grounding. Its vision is to produce well-rounded individuals, not just footballers.
El Cambio Football Academy has already made a mark nationally and internationally. Some of its players have represented Uganda at major tournaments, including the CHAN 2024 competition and the ongoing AFCON tournament in Morocco. Two graduates — James Bogere and Hamza Sengooba — have gone on to sign professional contracts with Danish top-flight club Aarhus Gymnastikforening (AGF), with Bogere also featuring among players considered for Uganda’s AFCON 2025 squad.
Bebe Cool revealed that his own children, Caysan Ssali and Deen Ozil Ssali, are currently enrolled at the academy, saying this reflects his confidence in the institution.
“My sons train and study here. I see the discipline, the structure and the seriousness. El Cambio is doing real work,” he said.
The newly opened facility boasts modern infrastructure, including a standard-size artificial turf pitch, classrooms, dormitories, gym, medical room, video analysis room, trophy cabinet and a kitchen, providing a professional environment for player development.
Bebe Cool also linked the academy’s success to the government’s wider investment in sports infrastructure under President Museveni and the NRM.
“This aligns with the President’s vision for sports development. Government has invested heavily in facilities like Hoima City Stadium and Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium, and now we are seeing the impact at grassroots level,” Bebe Cool noted.
President Museveni, who was in Masaka as part of his regional campaign engagements, emphasized the importance of supporting youth talent as a driver of discipline, employment and national pride.
The opening of El Cambio Football Academy’s new facility adds to the growing number of sports development projects in the country and highlights the role of private initiatives working alongside government support.
