Uganda Cranes Squad Named for AFCON Qualifying Matches

Paul Put has shown his hand. The Uganda Cranes head coach has named a 28-man squad for a demanding September–October international window that will test both the depth and the direction of his project.

Uganda open their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign away to Tunisia on September 24, then host Libya on September 29. Four days later, the focus shifts to two friendlies against DR Congo on October 2 and 5, all within a window that runs from September 21 to October 6.

Four games. Sixteen days. Very little room for passengers.

Onyango back to anchor a blended group

The headline is unmistakable: Denis Onyango is in.

The veteran goalkeeper from Mamelodi Sundowns, long a cornerstone of the national side, returns to anchor a goalkeeping unit that also features David Lukwago of SC Villa and Hannington Ssebwalunyo of NEC FC. Experience, promise, and a clear hierarchy – exactly what a coach wants when walking into North Africa for a qualifier.

In front of them, Put has gone for a broad defensive mix, pulling talent from across Europe, East Africa and North Africa. Toby Sibbick (Burton Albion) and Nathan Asiimwe (Salford City) add English-league steel, while Herbert Bockhorn (FC Magdeburg) brings a Bundesliga-tempered edge from Germany.

There is continental know-how too. Rogers Torach (CS Constantine) arrives from Algeria, Aziz Kayondo (Slovan Liberec) from the Czech Republic, and Gavin Kizito (Nairobi United) from Kenya. Local pillars such as Herbert Achayi (KCCA FC), Geofrey Lubanga Kene (SC Villa) and Hillary Mukundane (Vipers SC) round out a back line that looks built for rotation as much as resilience.

Midfield reshaped, spine under construction

The midfield tells the story of a team in transition.

Baba Alhassan (Mardin 1996 Spor) and Noble Okello (Lexington SC) headline a group that leans on versatility and legs. Kenneth Semakula, now at Al Ittihad Alexandria, offers a valuable bridge between domestic development and the demands of the North African game.

Allan Oyirwoth (Dunfermline FC) and Joseph Seremba (Nairobi United) complete the central options, giving Put a blend of ball-carriers, screeners and link men rather than one dominant playmaker. It looks like a unit built to adapt to the opponent: compact and disciplined against Tunisia, more expansive when Libya and DR Congo arrive.

Firepower spread across the front line

Up front, Put has opted for numbers and variety.

James Bogere (AGF) and Travis Mutyaba (CS Sfaxien) headline a forward line that stretches defences in different ways. Steven Mukwala (Al Nasr) brings presence and penalty-box instincts, while Denis Omedi (Gor Mahia) arrives with the sharpness that comes from regular football in a demanding Kenyan league.

Rogers Mato (Hearts), Hassan Mubiru (Azam), Sadam Masereka (Colorado Springs Switchbacks), Richard Basangwa (NEC FC) and Frank Ssebufu (SC Villa) give the Belgian coach options out wide and through the middle, with enough flexibility to change shape mid-game if needed.

One attacker in the list stands out for a different reason. FUFA’s announcement identified one forward only by his club, AS FAR of Morocco, without naming the player. The detail underlines how fluid this squad remains: places are being contested, roles are not yet locked in, and Put is clearly still testing combinations.

Big absentees and a clear message

For all the intrigue around new and returning faces, the omissions are just as telling.

Jordan Obita and Elio Capradossi are unavailable through injury. Captain Khalid Aucho is out. So too are Salim Jamal, Uche Ikpeazu, John Paul Dembe, Bobosi Byaruhanga and Jude Ssemugabi.

Put has not disguised the reasons. Some of those players are currently without clubs. Others have only just completed transfers and lack minutes. A few are on the way back from long-term injuries and are not yet at full match fitness.

The message is blunt but fair: form, fitness and commitment dictate selection. Reputation alone will not carry anyone into this squad.

Yet the door is not closed. Put has been clear that those left out can fight their way back once they regain rhythm and sharpness. This is not a purge; it is a recalibration.

A defining window on the road to 2027

On paper, it is just the start of a qualifying campaign and a pair of friendlies. In reality, this four-match block could shape the tone of Uganda’s journey towards AFCON 2027.

A trip to Tunisia is as unforgiving as it gets in African football. Hosting Libya demands control and maturity. DR Congo, even in friendlies, rarely take the intensity down a notch.

Put says he is satisfied with the form, fitness and commitment of the 28 men he has called. Over the next three weeks, they will have the chance – and the pressure – to prove that this evolving Cranes side can carry Uganda into a new era, not just another qualifying cycle.