Uganda Cranes head coach Paul Put has rewarded several standout local performers with national team call-ups in his newly announced 28-man squad for international friendlies against Tanzania and Madagascar.
The matches, scheduled for June 5 and June 8 respectively in Marrakech, Morocco, form part of Uganda’s preparations for the upcoming AFCON 2027 qualification campaign.
Put said the squad selection reflects his commitment to giving emerging local players an opportunity to prove themselves at the international level.
“This squad includes some new names, including local players who have shown their potential and talent this year. I want to give them a chance,” the Belgian tactician stated.
Several players from the Uganda Premier League earned places in the team following strong performances this season. These include Hannington Ssebwalunyo of NEC FC, Raymon Barasa Mangoli of SC Villa and Arafat Usama Kiza from Vipers SC.
The coach also maintained a core of experienced foreign-based players, including Herbert Bockhorn from Germany’s FC Magdeburg and Bobosi Byaruhanga of Oakland Roots SC in the United States.
The Morocco camp is expected to offer a valuable platform for integrating younger players into the national team environment while testing combinations ahead of competitive fixtures later in the year.
The provisional squad includes Hannington Ssebwalunyo – NEC FC (Uganda), David Lukwago – SC Villa (Uganda), Joel Mutakubwa – Adigrat University FC (Ethiopia), Herbert Bockhorn – FC Magdeburg (Germany), Nathan Asiimwe – Charlton Athletic FC (England), Raymon Barasa Mangoli – SC Villa (Uganda), Jordan Obita – Hibernian FC (Scotland), Geoffrey Lubanga Kene – SC Villa (Uganda), Hilary Mukundane – Vipers SC (Uganda), Aziz Kayondo – Slovan Liberec (Czech Republic), Herbert Achayi – KCCA FC (Uganda), Joseph Seremba – NEC FC (Uganda), Bobosi Byaruhanga – Oakland Roots SC (USA), Alhassan Baba – FCSB (Romania), Travis Mutyaba – CS Sfaxien (Tunisia), Abdu Karim Watambala – Vipers SC (Uganda), Allan Okello – Young Africans SC (Tanzania), James Bogere – Aarhus AGF (Denmark), Rogers Mato – Hearts FC (Scotland), Sammy Ssebadduka – KCCA FC (Uganda), Hassan Mubiru – SC Villa (Uganda), Steven Mukwala – Al-Nasr SC (Libya), Frank Ssebufu – SC Villa (Uganda), Allan Oyirwoth – New England Revolution FC (USA), Richard Basangwa – NEC FC (Uganda), Noble Okello – Indy Eleven FC (USA), Arafat Usama Kiza – Vipers SC (Uganda) and Ivan Ahimbisibwe – KCCA FC (Uganda).
