AFCON 2019: Crisis meeting at Uganda Cranes team base with State Minister for Sports in Cairo

In the wake of a skipped training session for Uganda Cranes on Tuesday in Cairo, the players and officials held a crisis meeting at the official team base – Radisson Blu Hotel in Helipolis, Cairo.

The meeting was chaired by the State Minister for Sports, Charles Bakabulindi.

Three senior players Hassan Wasswa Mawanda, Emmanuel Arnold Okwi and the team captain Denis Onyango represented the rest of the crop with the team head coach Sebastien Desabre also joining in at some stage during a stormy meeting that lasted close to three hours.

A couple of FUFA officials were also present as well as the Commissioner from the Ministry of Education and Sports Omara Apitta.

FUFA officials; Hamid Juma, Abdul Lukooya Ssekabira and the financial director, Decolas Kiiza graced the meeting too.

Although the scanty details emerging from the meeting could be readily disclosed, there was hope the players who are allegedly demanding unpaid bonuses could soon pick up their laid tools of work.

After the meeting, the players went for the routine medical session at the hotel.

Normally, the medical session is conducted before every training, an indicator that the team will train on Wednesday night at the Arab Contractors’ Stadium.

For starters, the Uganda Cranes players refused to train on Tuesday night as a complete unit citing pending bonuses.

The team had been scheduled for training on Tuesday but none showed up.

FUFA swiftly released a statement regarding the embarrassing situation; indicating how they had paid all the players’ bonuses and allowances.

There were fears that a second consecutive session missed would prompt the Ugandan FA to withdraw from the tournament and a ban by CAF.

Uganda Cranes play Senegal Terenga Lions in the round of 16 game at Cairo International Stadium on Friday.