In a seismic boost for Ugandan football, Belgian tactician Paul Put has inked a fresh two and half years extension with the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA), securing his stewardship of the Uganda Cranes until the end of 2028.
The 68-year-old’s commitment comes hot on the heels of guiding the Uganda Cranes to AFCON 2025 qualification in Morocco, their first appearance since 2019, and a respectable showing in World Cup qualifiers, where they’ve notched 12 wins from 18 competitive outings under his watch.
The development was confirmed on Thursday morning at FUFA Stadium, Kadiba with FUFA 1st Vice President Justus Mugisha and FUFA CEO Edgar Watson revealing the news., the deal valued at an undisclosed sum, will encompass the 2027 AFCON co-hosted by Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, a tournament the Cranes are eyeing as a homecoming triumph. “The FUFA Executive Committee made a rare decision to renew Coach Paul Put’s contract, a testament to his outstanding performance. The federation beat off strong competition from some of Africa’s top and wealthiest footballing nations that were after him.” Confirmed Mugisha.
Put, whose initial mandate in November 2023 was to end a four-year AFCON absence, wasted no time in celebrating the news by unveiling a potent 28-man squad for the upcoming international friendlies: Uganda vs. Chad on November 15, followed by Morocco vs. Uganda on November 19 in Tangier.
The matches, slotted into the FIFA window as pre-AFCON tune-ups, pitted the Uganda Cranes against a gritty Sahelian side in Chad and the Atlas Lions 2022 World Cup semi-finalists and tournament hosts in a rematch of their bruising 5-2 CHAN loss four years ago.
The selection pulses with intrigue, blending battle hardened diaspora talent, UPL (Uganda Premier League) fresh blood, and a pair of high-profile returns. Foremost among them is the prodigal homecoming of Melvyn Lorenzen (30), the explosive winger plying his trade with Muangthong United in Thailand’s Thai League 1.
Lorenzen, born to a Ugandan father and German mother in London, made his debut with the Uganda Cranes in 2016 with Werder Bremen flair but vanished from the fold after a handful of caps, citing club commitments and personal reflection. 9 years on, his recall is the first since that debutant bow and now injects raw pace and aerial menace, with 12 goals in 28 outings for the Kirins this season.
Adding to the continental glamour and news is debutant Al-Hassan Baba (25), the box-to-box dynamo anchoring midfield for Romanian heavyweights FC Steaua București (FCSB). The Ghanaian-born powerhouse, eligible via Ugandan heritage through extended family ties, embodies Paul Put’s eye for versatile steel: a defensive shield who surges forward with the maturity of a veteran.
Baba, who joined FCSB for €600,000 last winter and has since locked down a spot in their Europa League push, features in tonight’s Conference League clash against Lugano a testament to his elite timing. “Baba is a complete midfielder: reads the game, covers ground, scores when it counts,” Put raved. “His experience in high-stakes Europe will steady our engine room.”
From the domestic front, Paul Put dips into the StarTimes Uganda Premier League for three uncapped gems: goalkeeper duo Thomas Ikarah (BUL FC) and Denis Kiggundu (Vipers SC), injecting youthful shot-stopping verve, plus defender Moses Aliro (URA FC), a no-nonsense centre-back whose aerial duels have anchored the Tax Collectors’ 5th on the log of the UPL.
The full 28-man roster, a harmonious fusion of 9 UPL warriors and 19 overseas aces, assembles in Uganda before jetting to Morocco for a week-long camp. Standouts include:
- talismanic keeper Salim Omar Magoola (Richards Bay FC, South Africa),
- defensive rocks like Toby Sibbick (Burton Albion, England) and Elio Capradossi (Universitatea Cluj, Romania),
- midfield maestros Allan Okello (Vipers SC) and Bobosi Byaruhanga (Oakland Roots, USA),
- and forward threats like Steven Mukwala (Simba SC, Tanzania) and Uche Ikpeazu (St Johnstone, Scotland).
Paul Put’s Uganda Cranes 28-Man Squad for Chad & Morocco Friendlies
| No. | Player | Position | Club | Country |
| Goalkeepers | ||||
| 1 | Salim Omar Magoola | GK | Richards Bay FC | South Africa |
| 2 | Denis Onyango | GK | Mamelodi Sundowns FC | South Africa |
| 3 | Thomas Ikarah | GK | BUL FC | Uganda |
| 4 | Denis Kiggundu | GK | Vipers SC | Uganda |
| Defenders | ||||
| 5 | Toby Sibbick | DF | Burton Albion FC | England |
| 6 | Elio Capradossi | DF | Universitatea Cluj | Romania |
| 7 | Jordan Obita | DF | Hibernian FC | Scotland |
| 8 | Hilary Mukundane | DF | Vipers SC | Uganda |
| 9 | Aziz Kayondo | DF | FC Slovan Liberec | Czech Rep. |
| 10 | Timothy Awany | DF | FC Ashdod | Israel |
| 11 | Herbert Achayi | DF | KCCA FC | Uganda |
| 12 | Moses Aliro | DF | URA FC | Uganda |
| 13 | Torach Rogers | DF | Vipers SC | Uganda |
| Midfielders | ||||
| 14 | Kenneth Semakula | MF | Al-Adalah FC | Saudi Arabia |
| 15 | Aucho Khalid | MF | Singida Black Stars SC | Tanzania |
| 16 | Al-Hassan Baba | MF | FC Steaua București | Romania |
| 17 18 | Bobosi Byaruhanga Oyirworth Allan | MF MF | Oakland Roots SC New England Revolution FC | USA USA |
| Forwards | ||||
| 19 | Allan Okello | FW | Vipers SC | Uganda |
| 20 | Travis Mutyaba | FW | CS Sfaxien | Tunisia |
| 21 | Joseph Mpande | FW | PVF-CAND FC | Vietnam |
| 22 | Rogers Mato | FW | FK Vardar | North Macedonia |
| 23 | Jude Ssemugabi | FW | Jamus FC | S.Sudan |
| 24 | Uche Ikpeazu | FW | St Johnstone FC | Scotland |
| 25 | Steven Mukwala | FW | Simba SC | Tanzania |
| 26 | Shafiq Kwikiriza | FW | KCCA FC | Uganda |
| 27 | Mpande Reagan | FW | SC Villa | Uganda |
| 28 | Melvyn Lorenzen | FW | Muangthong United | Thailand |
