Lanky goalkeeper Robert Odongkara, like all the other 22 Uganda Cranes teammates played at their first Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
The St George Football Club player was one of the 3 goalkeepers for team Uganda at the AFCON 2017 tournament in Gabon.
The other two were Mamelodi Sundowns’ Dennis Onyango and El Merriekh’s Salim Jamal Magoola.
Odongkara, a former Mupero-Tanda, SC Villa and Uganda Revenue Authority player now turns focus and attention to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers as well as the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualification process.
AFCON 2017 was a great tournament although we finished to get out of the group, we played well, Now, we are turning to the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019 and World Cup in Russia 2018
Odongkara replaced an injured Onyango in the last group game against Mali that ended one all.
After an all-round promising performance where he excelled at cooling the game tempo and collecting routine aerial balls, Odongkara looked out of position when Lille play maker Yves Bissouma easily beat him for Mali’s equalizer off a beautiful free-kick from over 30 yards.
Club business:
Odongkara will return to Ethiopia and straight away join his club, St George, also home to midfielder Yassar Mugerwa.
It is a big honour to serve the national team.
I will now rest in Uganda for three to four days then return for club business in Ethiopia
Odongkara, Onyango and Salim Jamal Magoola were the three Uganda Cranes goalkeepers at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.
Uganda is blessed with a collection of goalkeepers that every team of summoning the national squad the selectors are spolit for choice.
Benjamin Ochan (KCCA), Isma Watenga, James Alitho (Vipers), Brian Bwete (BUL), Mathias Kigonya (Sofapaka), Alionzi (URA), Franco Oringa (Soana) and many others are some of the promising goalies lined up in the succession queue.
