Wikipedia

Uganda national football team

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Uganda women's national football team.

The Uganda national football team also known as The Uganda Cranes represents Uganda in international football and is controlled by the Federation of Uganda Football Associations.

Uganda
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)The Cranes
AssociationFederation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA)
ConfederationCAF (Africa)
Sub-confederationCECAFA (East & Central Africa)
Head coachPaul Put
CaptainKhalid Aucho
Most capsGodfrey Walusimbi (105)
Top scorerEmmanuel Okwi (28)
Home stadiumMandela National Stadium
FIFA codeUGA
First colours
Second colours
Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current 89 Decrease 1 (3 April 2025)[1]
Highest62 (January 2016)
Lowest152 (July 2002)
First international
 Kenya 1–1 Uganda 
(Nairobi, Kenya; 1 May 1926)
Biggest win
 Uganda 13–1 Kenya 
(Uganda; 14 December 1932)
Biggest defeat
 Egypt 6–0 Uganda 
(Alexandria, Egypt; 30 July 1995)
 Tunisia 6–0 Uganda 
(Tunis, Tunisia; 28 February 1999)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances8 (first in 1962)
Best resultRunners-up (1978)
African Nations Championship
Appearances6 (first in 2011)
Best resultGroup stage (2011, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022)
COSAFA Cup
Appearances1 (first in 2019)
Best resultQuarter-finals (2019)
CECAFA Cup
Appearances81 (first in 1926)
Best resultChampions (1928, 1929, 1930, 1932, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1943, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019)
Websitefufa.co.ug

History

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The Uganda Cranes made their debut on 1 May 1926 against Kenya drawing 1–1. In 1962, they qualified for their Africa Cup of Nations debut in the third edition of the tournament, which included only 4 teams. In the semi-finals, the Cranes were defeated and eliminated by United Arab Republic (2–1), and then lost the third place match against Tunisia (3–0).

The Cranes returned to the Africa Cup of Nations in 1974, where they were eliminated in the first round following 2 defeats against Egypt and Zambia and a draw against Ivory Coast. In 1976, they were eliminated in the first round, being defeated by Ethiopia, Egypt and Guinea.

In the 1978 Africa Cup of Nations, the Cranes finished second in the group stages defeating Congo (3–1) and Morocco (3–0) and lost 3–1 to Tunisia. In the semi-finals they eliminated Nigeria (2–1), and in the finals they were defeated by Ghana (2–0).

In 2017 the Cranes qualified for the African Cup of Nations again after 39 years. They finished the tournament in the first round after two consecutive 1–0 losses to Ghana and Egypt and a 1–1 draw against Mali.

In the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup, the Cranes progressed to the second round with a 4–0 aggregate win against Togo, and were drawn into a group with Egypt, Ghana and the Republic of Congo. They finished the group with 2 0–0 draws against Ghana, a win and a draw against the Republic of Congo and a victory against Egypt followed by a defeat at the home of the Pharaohs. The 9 points won were not enough for Uganda to qualify against the 13 of the Egyptians who finished first in the standings.

In the qualifiers for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, the Cranes cruised through qualifiers against Tanzania, Cape Verde and Lesotho. In the competition proper, a 2–0 victory against DR Congo meant that the Uganda Cranes had won their first match in the competition for 41 years. In the other 2 games of the group Uganda obtained a draw against Zimbabwe (1–1) and a defeat against the hosts Egypt (2–0) qualifying in second place, to be eliminated in the round of 16 by Senegal (1–0). They qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after South Sudan beat Congo 3-2 on November 14, 2024.

Results and fixtures

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Main article: Uganda national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2024

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19 January Friendly Kuwait   0–2   Uganda Cairo, Egypt
17:00 UTC+1 Report Ssekiganda   10'
Kitata   85'		 Stadium: Cairo International Stadium
22 March Friendly Comoros   4–0   Uganda Marrakech, Morocco
21:00 UTC+0
Report Stadium: Stade de Marrakech
26 March Friendly Uganda   2–2   Ghana Marrakech, Morocco
16:00 UTC+0
Report
Stadium: Stade de Marrakech
Referee: Bouchra Kaboubi (Morocco)
7 June 2026 World Cup qualification Uganda   1–0   Botswana Kampala, Uganda
19:00 UTC+3
Report Stadium: Mandela National Stadium
Attendance: 45,000
Referee: Clement Franklin Kpan (Ivory Coast)
10 June 2026 World Cup qualification Uganda   1–2   Algeria Kampala, Uganda
19:00 UTC+3
Report
Stadium: Mandela National Stadium
Attendance: 45,000
Referee: Adissa Abdul Raphiou Ligali (Benin)
6 September AFCON qualification South Africa   2–2   Uganda Johannesburg, South Africa
18:00 UTC+2
Report
Stadium: Orlando Stadium
Referee: Pierre Atcho (Gabon)
9 September AFCON qualification Uganda   2–0   Congo Kampala, Uganda
19:00 UTC+3
Report Stadium: Mandela National Stadium
Attendance: 38,000
Referee: Mehrez Malki (Tunisia)
11 October AFCON qualification Uganda   1–0   South Sudan Kampala, Uganda
19:00 UTC+3
Report Stadium: Mandela National Stadium
Attendance: 38,000
Referee: Kalilou Ibrahim Traoré (Ivory Coast)
15 October AFCON qualification South Sudan   1–2   Uganda Juba, South Sudan
15:00 UTC+2
Report
Stadium: Juba Stadium
Referee: Ahmed Al Ghandour (Egypt)
15 November AFCON qualification Uganda   0–2   South Africa Kampala, Uganda
15:00 UTC+3 Report
Stadium: Mandela National Stadium
Attendance: 38,000
Referee: Alhadi Allaou Mahamat (Chad)
19 November AFCON qualification Congo   0–1   Uganda Brazzaville, Congo
13:00 UTC+1 Report
Stadium: Stade Alphonse Massemba-Débat
Referee: Mohamed Maarouf Eid Mansour (Egypt)

2025

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20 March 2026 World Cup qualification Mozambique   3–1   Uganda Cairo, Egypt
16:00 UTC+3
Report
Stadium: Cairo International Stadium
Attendance: 100
Referee: Pierre Ghislain Atcho (Gabon)
25 March 2026 World Cup qualification Uganda   1–0   Guinea Kampala, Uganda
19:00 UTC+3 Report Stadium: Mandela National Stadium
Attendance: 25,000
September 2026 World Cup qualification Uganda   v   Mozambique Kampala, Uganda
--:-- UTC+3 Stadium: Mandela National Stadium
September 2026 World Cup qualification Uganda   v   Somalia Kampala, Uganda
--:-- UTC+3 Stadium: Mandela National Stadium
October 2026 World Cup qualification Botswana   v   Uganda
--:-- UTC+2
October 2026 World Cup qualification Algeria   v   Uganda
--:-- UTC+2
23 December 2025 AFCON GS Tunisia   v   Uganda Rabat, Morocco
15:30 UTC+1 Stadium: Prince Moulay Abdellah Olympic Annex Stadium
27 December 2025 AFCON GS Uganda   v   Tanzania Rabat, Morocco
18:00 UTC+1 Stadium: Al Barid Stadium
30 December 2025 AFCON GS Uganda   v   Nigeria Fez, Morocco
18:00 UTC+1 Stadium: Fez Stadium

Coaching staff

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Position Staff
Head coach   Paul Put
Assistant coach   Sam Ssimbwa
Performance manager   Sven De Wilde
Goalkeeper coach   Gery Oste
Physical coach   Mathieu Denis
Physiotherapist & Fitness coach   Arthur Naudts
Video analyst   Jelle Sevenhant
Team Doctor   Arnaud Depraetere

Coaching history

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Interim coaches are listed in italics.[3][4][5]

Players

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Current squad

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The following players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Group G matches against Mozambique and Guinea on 20 and 25 March 2025.[6]

Caps and goals are correct as of 19 November 2024, after the match against Congo.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Ismail Watenga (1995-05-15) 15 May 1995 (age 29) 35 0   Lamontville Golden Arrows
1GK Nafian Alionzi (1996-03-01) 1 March 1996 (age 29) 6 0   Defence Force
1GK Joel Mutakubwa (1995-07-17) 17 July 1995 (age 29) 3 0   BUL
2DF Isaac Muleme (1992-10-10) 10 October 1992 (age 32) 52 0   Viktoria Žižkov
2DF Timothy Awany (1996-08-06) 6 August 1996 (age 28) 45 0   Ashdod
2DF Aziz Kayondo (2002-10-06) 6 October 2002 (age 22) 26 2   Slovan Liberec
2DF Bevis Mugabi (1995-05-01) 1 May 1995 (age 29) 26 1   Anorthosis Famagusta
2DF Gavin Kizito (2002-01-14) 14 January 2002 (age 23) 12 0   KCCA
2DF Elvis Bwomono (1998-11-29) 29 November 1998 (age 26) 10 0   St Mirren
2DF Toby Sibbick (1999-05-23) 23 May 1999 (age 25) 1 0   Wigan Athletic
2DF Rogers Torach (2003-06-23) 23 June 2003 (age 21) 1 0   Vipers
3MF Khalid Aucho (1993-08-08) 8 August 1993 (age 31) 76 2   Young Africans
3MF Allan Okello (2000-07-04) 4 July 2000 (age 24) 28 3   Vipers
3MF Travis Mutyaba (2005-08-07) 7 August 2005 (age 19) 23 3   Bordeaux
3MF Kenneth Semakula (2002-11-14) 14 November 2002 (age 22) 23 0   Club Africain
3MF Karim Watambala (2000-03-03) 3 March 2000 (age 25) 14 0   Vipers
3MF Ssekiganda Ronald (1995-09-13) 13 September 1995 (age 29) 9 1   Villa
3MF Enock Ssebaggala (2000-07-28) 28 July 2000 (age 24) 0 0   NEC
4FW Rogers Mato (1998-10-20) 20 October 1998 (age 26) 31 4   Vardar Skopje
4FW Muhammad Shaban (1998-01-11) 11 January 1998 (age 27) 25 2   Al-Anwar Al-Abyar
4FW Steven Mukwala (1999-07-15) 15 July 1999 (age 25) 21 1   Simba
4FW Denis Omedi (1996-06-13) 13 June 1996 (age 28) 12 2   APR
4FW Jude Ssemugabi (1997-03-03) 3 March 1997 (age 28) 4 1   Kitara
4FW Patrick Kakande (2003-04-25) 25 April 2003 (age 22) 2 0   Villa
4FW Hakim Kiwanuka (2000-09-11) 11 September 2000 (age 24) 2 0   APR
4FW Calvin Kabuye (2003-03-28) 28 March 2003 (age 22) 1 0   Mjällby

Recent call-ups

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The following players have been called up in the last 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Charles Lukwago (1993-12-11) 11 December 1993 (age 31) 24 0   Venda v.   Congo, 19 November 2024
GK Mutwalibi Mugolofa (2000-11-02) 2 November 2000 (age 24) 0 0   KCCA v.   Congo, 19 November 2024
GK Tom Ikara (1997-02-12) 12 February 1997 (age 28) 3 0   BUL v.   Ghana; 26 March 2024
GK Giosue Bellagambi (2001-11-08) 8 November 2001 (age 23) 1 0   Huddersfield Town v.   Ghana; 26 March 2024
GK Jack Komakech (2002-07-31) 31 July 2002 (age 22) 1 0   Vipers v.   Ghana; 26 March 2024
DF Halid Lwaliwa (1998-08-19) 19 August 1998 (age 26) 38 1   Bregalnica v.   Congo, 19 November 2024
DF Geoffrey Wasswa (1996-08-23) 23 August 1996 (age 28) 3 0   Ethiopian Coffee v.   Congo, 19 November 2024
DF Nicholas Mwere (2001-03-13) 13 March 2001 (age 24) 1 0   BUL v.   South Sudan; 14 October 2024
DF Kaka Omony (1999-10-23) 23 October 1999 (age 25) 2 0   Bright Stars v.   Ghana; 26 March 2024
DF Nathan Asiimwe (2004-12-29) 29 December 2004 (age 20) 0 0   Charlton Athletic v.   Ghana; 26 March 2024
MF Taddeo Lwanga (1994-05-21) 21 May 1994 (age 30) 27 1   APR v.   Congo, 19 November 2024
MF Bobosi Byaruhanga (2001-12-03) 3 December 2001 (age 23) 25 0   Austin v.   Congo, 19 November 2024
MF Saidi Mayanja (2003-08-12) 12 August 2003 (age 21) 0 0   KCCA v.   Congo, 19 November 2024
MF Allan Kyambadde (1996-01-15) 15 January 1996 (age 29) 25 1   El Dakhleya v.   Ghana; 26 March 2024
MF Ashraf Mugume (1998-11-16) 16 November 1998 (age 26) 5 0   KCCA v.   Ghana; 26 March 2024
MF Moses Opondo (1997-10-28) 28 October 1997 (age 27) 3 0   Horsens v.   Ghana; 26 March 2024
FW Derrick Nsibambi (1994-06-19) 19 June 1994 (age 30) 26 7   KCCA v.   Congo, 19 November 2024
FW John Paul Dembe (2005-07-03) 3 July 2005 (age 19) 0 0   Häcken v.   Congo, 19 November 2024
FW Shafik Nana Kwikiriza (2004-03-03) 3 March 2004 (age 21) 0 0   KCCA v.   Congo, 19 November 2024
FW Fahad Bayo (1998-05-10) 10 May 1998 (age 26) 29 9 Free agent v.   Algeria; 10 June 2024
FW Umar Lutalo (2003-12-15) 15 December 2003 (age 21) 1 0   Villa v.   Algeria; 10 June 2024
FW Milton Karisa (1995-07-27) 27 July 1995 (age 29) 50 6   Vipers v.   Ghana; 26 March 2024
FW Moses Aliro (1996-02-09) 9 February 1996 (age 29) 3 0   URA v.   Ghana; 26 March 2024
FW Carl James Mujaguzi (2000-05-05) 5 May 2000 (age 24) 1 0   Kerry v.   Ghana; 26 March 2024

Player records

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As of 19 November 2024[7]
Players in bold are still active with Uganda.
Most appearances
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Godfrey Walusimbi 105 3 2009–2019
2 Emmanuel Okwi 95 28 2009–2023
3 Simeon Masaba 88 6 2002–2013
4 Tony Mawejje 86 8 2003–2018
5 Denis Onyango 82 0 2005–2021
6 Hassan Wasswa 81 0 2006–2019
7 Farouk Miya 79 23 2014–present
8 Khalid Aucho 76 2 2013–present
9 Andrew Mwesigwa 75 7 2003–2014
10 Geoffrey Massa 72 22 2005–2017
Top goalscorers
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Emmanuel Okwi 28 95 0.29 2009–2023
2 Farouk Miya 23 79 0.29 2014–present
3 Geoffrey Massa 22 72 0.31 2005–2017
4 Majid Musisi 20 29 0.69 1987–2000
5 Hassan Mubiru 18 63 0.29 1998–2007
6 David Obua 16 36 0.44 2003–2011
7 Geoffrey Sserunkuma 14 54 0.26 2002–2017
8 Brian Umony 12 36 0.33 2009–2015
9 Jackson Mayanja 10 27 0.37 1988–1999
10 Patrick Kaddu 9 21 0.43 2018–2022
Fahad Bayo 9 29 0.31 2018–present
Philip Obwiny 9 48 0.19 1994–2003

Competitive record

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FIFA World Cup

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FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1958 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
1962 to 1974 Did not enter Did not enter
  1978 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 3 4
  1982 Withdrew Withdrew
  1986 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 1 3
  1990 2 1 0 1 2 3
  1994 Withdrew during qualifying Withdrew during qualifying
  1998 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 1 5
    2002 2 0 1 1 4 7
  2006 12 3 2 7 10 18
  2010 6 3 1 2 8 9
  2014 6 2 2 2 5 6
  2018 8 4 3 1 7 2
  2022 6 2 3 1 3 2
      2026 To be determined 6 3 0 3 6 7
      2030 To be determined
  2034
Total 54 20 12 22 50 66

Head-to-head record

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Completely updated and corrected per the cited source on 25 March 2025 [8]

Note: Country in italic is not a member of FIFA.

Source:[9][10]

Honours

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Continental

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Regional

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Awards

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Summary

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Senior Competitions       Total
CAF African Cup of Nations 0 1 0 1
Total 0 1 0 1

References

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  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 3 April 2025. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
  2. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 26 March 2025. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  3. ^ Zziwa, Hassan Badru (25 May 2009). "Rise and fall of Cranes coaches". The Observer. Uganda. Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  4. ^ "Rise and fall of Uganda Cranes tacticians". Soccer256 online. Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  5. ^ "Johnny McKinstry unveiled as Uganda Cranes coach". www.newvision.co.ug. Archived from the original on 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2019-12-30.
  6. ^ "FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers: Uganda Cranes Squad to face Mozambique and Guinea named". Federation of Uganda Football Associations. 10 March 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
  7. ^ "Uganda". National Football Teams. Archived from the original on 2023-09-19. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  8. ^ FIFA.com. "FIFA Tournaments – Compare Teams – FIFA.com". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on June 13, 2007. Retrieved 2018-05-31.
  9. ^ "Uganda". 29 March 2021. Archived from the original on 2023-07-21. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  10. ^ "Uganda - Historical results". 29 March 2021. Archived from the original on 2023-07-21. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
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