Overview:
For teenager James Bogere, Uganda Cubs’ top scorer at the recently held FIFA U-17 tournament in Qatar, summon to the senior Uganda Cranes team is a dream come true.
- Event: AFCON 2025 Morocco
- Duration: December 21st 2025 to January 18th 2026
- Host country: Morocco
- Group C: Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania
The Uganda Cranes head coach, Joseph Paul Put, released a 30-man team that travels for a residential camp in Morocco in preparation for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.
On this 30-man provisional team, there are 9 domestically based players.
These are competing for slots on the final 28-man squad that will be submitted 10 days before the tournament kicks off.
Goalkeeper Charles Lukwago (KCCA), defenders David Owori (Sports Club Villa), Rogers Torach Ochaki and Hillary Mukundane (both Vipers) are joined by forwards Allan Okello (Vipers), Reagan Mpande (Sports Club Villa), Ivan Ahimbisibwe (KCCA), Shafik Nana Kwikiriza (KCCA) as well as James Bogere (Masaka Sunshine) are all locally based.
The aforementioned will present a strong case to be considered on the final tournament squad.
For teenager James Bogere, Uganda Cubs’ top scorer at the recently held FIFA U-17 tournament in Qatar, the summon to the senior team is a dream come true.
Right from School football at Blessed Sacrament Kimanya, Bogere also features in the regional league (third tier) in the Masaka Region with Masaka Sunshine Football Club.
He is a testament of organic growth for any player who has diligently worked his socks off and deservedly earns the summon to the senior national team at 17 years old.
Bogere is among the 12 forward players on the provisional list with Vipers’ Okello, Mpande (Sports Club Villa), KCCA duo Kwikirizza and Ahimbisibwe, Steven Mukwala (Simba), Ikpeazu Uchechukwu Mubiru (St. Johnstone), Denis Omedi (APR), Melvyn Lorenzen (Muangthong United), Travis Mutyaba (CS Sfaxien), Rogers Mato (FK Vardar) and South Sudan-based Jude Ssemugabi (Jamus).
Other players:
KCCA goalkeeper Lukwago is up in competition against Salim Omar Magoola (Richards Bay), Alionzi Nafian (Defence Forces) and the vastly experienced Dennis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns).
Defenders Mukundane, Torach and Owori are in the same pool as Isaac Muleme (Viktoria Zizkov), Abdul-Azizi Kayondo (Slovan Liberec), Jordan Obita (Hibernian), Timothy Denis Awanya (FC Ashdod), Elio Capradossi (FC Universitatae Cluj) and Toby Sibbick (Burton Albion).
No locally based player was summoned in the midfield docket that has skipper Aucho Khalid (Singida Black Stars), Bobosi Byaruhanga (Oakland Roots), Alhassan Baba (FCSB) and Semakula (Al-Adalah).
According to the FUFA spokesperson Ahmed Hussein, the pool of locally based players and the technical team will depart Uganda on Sunday, 7th December 2025 for an 11-day training camp in Morocco.
During the training camp, the team will engage in two international build-up matches to further ascertain the readiness of the players.
Uganda Cranes’ group and matches at AFCON 2025:
Uganda is pooled in Group C along with Tunisia, Nigeria and neighbours, Tanzania.
The Cranes will open up the campaign on 23rd December 2025 against Tunisia at the Rabat Olympic Stadium (Rabat).
The second game will be against Tanzania at the Al Medina Stadium (Rabat city) before the final group game against Nigeria at the Fez Stadium (Fez city) on 30th December 2025.
Uganda Cranes’ best ever performance was in 1978, reaching the finals against Ghana, falling to the Black Stars 0-2 in Kumasi.
