The Federation of Ugandan Football Association (FUFA) has stepped up its Ghana 2008 Cup of Africa Nations qualification campaign by establishing a fund to boost the Cranes preparations, local media reported on Thursday.

Aldrine Nsubuga, public relations officer of FUFA, explained that they were zeroing down on a suspense account for Ugandans to contribute towards the cause at the weekly press conference in Kampala.

"The account will be called 'The Ghana 2008 Account'. Individuals, corporates and other organizations can contribute, while assured that their money will not be misappropriated," Nsubuga told the public.

Nsubuga confirmed the account would be handled fully by professional audit firms for proper accountability, adding that FUFA and the auditors would publicly declare collections on a monthly basis.

FUFA and National Union of Football Fans Association (NUFFA) had been contacting with international audit bodies of Ernst & Young and KPMG to manage the anticipated Cranes finances and the auditors would be finalized by next Monday.

The fund, which is expected to mobilize football fans nationally to contribute for the national teams preparations, would cover several relevant areas including the national team's welfare and international build-ups.

Uganda is grouped along with Lesotho, Niger and Nigeria in the qualification campaign which is to start in September. Uganda's preparations began in earnest this week with the signing of Serbian coach Tomislav Sivic.

Uganda last featured in the African premier soccer competition in 1978 when the Cranes lost to Ghana 2-0 in the final.

Source: Xinhua