Uganda Cranes Prepare for AFCON 2027 Qualifiers
Paul Put has nailed his colours to the mast. Uganda’s head coach has named a 28-man squad that will be asked to navigate a punishing international window loaded with high‑stakes AFCON 2027 qualifiers and testing friendlies.
Uganda open away to Tunisia on September 24, a daunting trip by any standard, before returning home to host Libya on September 29. Four days later, the Cranes switch into friendly mode with back‑to‑back games against DR Congo on October 2 and 5. Four matches in 16 days. Little room for error, even less for passengers.
Onyango back to marshal the last line
The headline name is unmistakable. Denis Onyango, the veteran goalkeeper from Mamelodi Sundowns, is back in the fold to anchor a goalkeeping unit that blends experience with local form.
He is joined by David Lukwago of SC Villa and Hannington Ssebwalunyo of NEC FC, two keepers who know the domestic grind and will push the established No.1. Put has made it clear in the past he values personality as much as shot‑stopping; this trio offers both.
Defensive mix of grit and fresh legs
At the back, Put has gone for range: European‑based defenders, regional regulars and local stalwarts all jostling for starting roles.
Toby Sibbick (Burton Albion) and Herbert Bockhorn (FC Magdeburg) bring a robust, high‑tempo edge from the English and German systems. Aziz Kayondo (Slovan Liberec) adds left‑side balance, while Rogers Torach (CS Constantine) supplies North African savvy that will be crucial in Tunis.
Home‑based defenders Herbert Achayi (KCCA FC), Geofrey Lubanga Kene (SC Villa) and Hillary Mukundane (Vipers SC) deepen the pool, with Nathan Asiimwe (Salford City) and Gavin Kizito (Nairobi United) offering youthful energy and versatility. Jonathan Odongo (UPPC) rounds out a defensive group built to handle both Tunisia’s precision and Libya’s unpredictability.
Midfield built for control and legs
In midfield, Put has opted for mobility and technical security.
Baba Alhassan (Mardin 1996 Spor) and Noble Okello (Lexington SC) give him physical presence and range, capable of screening the back four or driving play forward. Kenneth Semakula (Al Ittihad Alexandria) arrives from Egyptian football with the kind of tactical schooling that fits tight qualifiers.
Allan Oyirwoth (Dunfermline FC) and Joseph Seremba (Nairobi United) add creativity and work‑rate, the sort of hybrid profiles a coach leans on when games become stretched late on.
This is not a midfield packed with big reputations, but it is one that can run, press and recycle the ball under pressure. That is exactly what away days in North Africa demand.
Firepower with a point to prove
Up front, Put has gone heavy on options and light on guarantees. The message is simple: earn your shirt.
James Bogere (AGF), Travis Mutyaba (CS Sfaxien) and Denis Omedi (Gor Mahia) headline a frontline drawn from different corners of the continent and Europe. Rogers Mato (Hearts) brings Scottish intensity, while Hassan Mubiru (Azam) and Sadam Masereka (Colorado Springs Switchbacks) offer contrasting styles – one more traditional centre‑forward, the other with the pace to stretch defences.
Steven Mukwala (Al Nasr), Richard Basangwa (NEC FC) and Frank Ssebufu (SC Villa) complete the attacking cast. One additional forward, listed only by his club AS FAR of Morocco in the FUFA announcement, underscores the depth of Put’s net. He is clearly scouring every available channel for goals.
Big absences, bigger explanations
The squad list also tells a story about who is missing.
Jordan Obita and Elio Capradossi are out injured, confirmed unavailable by Put. Captain Khalid Aucho, Salim Jamal, Uche Ikpeazu, John Paul Dembe, Bobosi Byaruhanga and Jude Ssemugabi have also been left out of this window.
There is no mystery in the coach’s reasoning. Some are currently without clubs or have only just completed transfers, short of the competitive minutes he demands. Others are on the way back from long‑term injuries and have not yet reached the match fitness required for this kind of schedule.
Put has been blunt but not ruthless: the door, he insists, stays open. Once form, fitness and rhythm return, so can their national team spots.
A demanding window, a clear standard
From September 21 to October 6, Uganda’s international calendar is packed. Two AFCON qualifiers that could shape the 2027 journey, and two friendlies against DR Congo that will test depth, combinations and character.
Put says he is satisfied with the form, fitness and commitment of those called up. The implication is just as important: this squad is a reward for those currently delivering, not a roll‑call of past reputations.
Tunisia away, Libya at home, DR Congo twice. By the time this window closes, everyone will know exactly where the Cranes stand – and who truly belongs in Put’s plans for 2027.
