Nickname: The Cranes
Fifa rank: 85
Afcon Group: C
Head coach: Paul Joseph Put
Group Stage fixtures: Tunisia [Dec 23], Tanzania [Dec 27], Nigeria [Dec 30]
Afcon appearances: 9 [1962, 1968, 1974, 1976, 1978, 2017, 2019, 2025, 2027]
Best Afcon performance: Runners up [1978]
How they qualified: Paul Put’s men achieved qualification with two games in hand – that is the earliest this has ever happened in their history.
In Group K, topped by 1996 champions South Africa, Uganda only lost one match, 2-0 at home against Bafana Bafana.
Two wins on the road away to South Sudan and Congo, plus a draw in South Africa, meant no defeat on the road.
The Cranes scored 8 goals and conceded just five in the process, amassing 13 points, one behind Bafana Bafana and nine ahead of third-placed Congo Brazzaville.
Realistic chance at Afcon 2025: The minimum target is playing in the quarter final after getting out of the group at the last edition in which they took part in 2019.
But before that, a tough group including two former champions, Tunisia and Nigeria, plus regional rivals Tanzania awaits.
Realistically, reaching the knockout stage is an achievable feat given the team’s recent performances.
Who is the star of the team? Uganda is one of the teams that plays together as unit but without doubt, the attraction of the team is locally based Vipers star Allan Okello. However, the spine of veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango, Jordan Obita, Khalid Aucho and Aziz Kayondo makes the Cranes a unit.
Uganda Cranes Provisional AFCON 2025 Squad (30 Players)
Goalkeepers
- Salim Omar Magoola – Richards Bay FC (South Africa)
- Denis Onyango – Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
- Alionzi Nafian – Defence Forces FC (Ethiopia)
- Charles Lukwago – KCCA FC (Uganda)
Defenders
- Toby Sibbick – Burton Albion (England)
- Elio Caprodossi – Universitatea Cluj (Romania)
- Jordan Obita – Hibernian FC (Scotland)
- Rogers Torach – Vipers SC (Uganda)
- Abdu Azizi Kayondo – Slovan Liberec (Czech Republic)
- Isaac Muleme – Viktoria Žižkov (Czech Republic)
- Timothy Awany – FC Ashdod (Israel)
- David Owori – SC Villa (Uganda)
- Hilary Mukundane – Vipers SC (Uganda)
Midfielders
- Kenneth Semakula – Al-Adalah FC (Saudi Arabia)
- Khalid Aucho – Singida Black Stars (Tanzania)
- Ronald Ssekiganda – APR FC (Rwanda)
- Bobosi Byaruhanga – Oakland Roots (USA)
- Baba Alhassan – FCSB (Romania)
Forwards
- Allan Okello – Vipers SC (Uganda)
- Melvyn Lorenzen – Muangthong United (Thailand)
- Travis Mutyaba – CS Sfaxien (Tunisia)
- Denis Omedi – APR FC (Rwanda)
- Mato Rogers – FK Vardar (North Macedonia)
- Reagan Mpande – SC Villa (Uganda)
- Jude Ssemugabi – Jamus FC (South Sudan)
- Uchechukwu Ikpeazu – St. Johnstone (Scotland)
- Steven Mukwala – Simba SC (Tanzania)
- James Bogere – Masaka Sunshine FC (Uganda)
- Ivan Ahimbisibwe – KCCA FC (Uganda)
- Shafik Nana Kwikiriza – KCCA FC (Uganda)