Uganda Cranes head coach Sébastien Desabre has on Tuesday released the 23 players that will feature at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt.
There is not so many changes made by Uganda’s technical team as 14 of the players who played at the previous AFCON finals all return.
Team captain Dennis Onyango, the first choice for country returns unscathed among the 23 players.
The two other goalkeepers Robert Odongkara and Jamal Salim Omar Magoola, who also were in Gabon, are on the official list to Egypt.
The other returning faces include Azam FC’s right back, Nico Wakiro Wadada, Simba’s Murushid Jjuuko, Joseph Ochaya of TP Mazembe, and two unattached entities in Hassan Wasswa Mawanda and Godfrey “Jajja Walu” Walusimbi who will all play at AFCON for the second successive time.
The back-line has only three new faces in Ostersunds’ Brian Ronald Ddungu Mukiibi, KCCA’s Timothy Denis Awanya and Yeovil Town’s Bevis Mugabi.
In midfield, the returning parties are Montreal Impact’s Mike Azira, William Kizito Luwagga (Shakhter Karagandy, Kazakhstan), Khalid Aucho (Church Hill Brothers, India) and Faruku Miya (HNK Gorica, Croatia).
The new midfielders players who did not feature at AFCON 2017 are; Allan Kateregga (Maritzburg, South Africa), Abdul Lumala (Syrianska, Sweden), Tadeo Lwanga (Vipers SC-Uganda).
Injury and sickness woes:
Moses Waiswa’s knee concerns ruled the Vipers’ play maker out of the tournament.
Another injured player left out is forward Alexis David Bbakka who features at Carlstad United in Sweden.
KCCA’s Ibrahim Sadam Juma has been dogged by malaria for the previous seven days and sadly fails to make the list plus player Kirizestom Ntambi and Charles Lukwago will also not feature for the cranes.
Uganda Cranes played to a goal-less draw with Asian light weight opposition Turkmenistan at the New York University Stadium.
Uganda will play the final build up against Cote D’Ivoire this coming Saturday, 15th June 2019 before flying to Egypt for the biennial continental showpiece.
Uganda is housed in group A alongside Hosts Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe.
Uganda Cranes final 23 man Team
Goalkeepers: Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Jamal Salim (Al Hilal-Sudan), Robert Odongkara (Adama City, Ethiopia)
Defenders: Nico Wakiro Wadada (Azam, Tanzania), Brian Ronald Ddungu Mukiibi (Ostersunds, Sweden), Murushid Jjuuko (Simba, Tanzania), Bevis Mugabi (Yeovil Town, England), Isaac Muleme (FK Viktoria Zizkov, Czech Republic), Hassan Wasswa Mawanda (Un attached), Joseph Ochaya (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Timothy Denis Awanyi (KCCA FC, Uganda), Godfrey Walusimbi (Un-attached)
Midfielders: Mike Azira (Montreal Impact, Canada), Allan Kateregga (Maritzburg, South Africa), William Kizito Luwagga (Shakhter Karagandy, Kazakhstan), Khalid Aucho (Church Hill Brothers, India), Faruku Miya (HNK Gorica, Croatia), Abdul Lumala (Syrianska, Sweden), Tadeo Lwanga (Vipers SC-Uganda)
Strikers: Patrick Henry Kaddu (KCCA FC, Uganda), Derrick Nsibambi (Smouha, Egypt), Allan Kyambadde (KCCA FC Uganda), Emmanuel Arnold Okwi (Simba, Tanzania)
