Uganda Cranes interim coach Abdallah Mubiru has summoned 31 players to begin preparations for the upcoming 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournament qualifiers.
In a press conference held at the FUFA headquarters in Mengo, Abdallah Mubiru released a 31-player squad that will represent the country in the 2021 AFCON qualifiers that will take place at the end of March when Uganda hosts Burkina Faso on March 24th before they visit Malawi on March 30.
Coach Mubiru remains confident that the squad he has summoned will do the job and deliver Uganda to a third consecutive AFCON qualification
Among the players summoned are 2 Uganda hippo’s players who are currently at the U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Mauritania who include U20 Hippos captain Gavin Kizito and Bobos Byaruhanga whose commendable performances at the u20 AFCON finals are the biggest reason for the selection.
Other players who were summoned include four goalkeepers; captain Denis Onyango who plays at Mamelodi Sundown’s in South Africa and Charles Lukwago from KCCA among others.
Some of the defenders included on the team are Bevis Mugabi who plays for Mother Well in Scotland, former KCCA defender Mustafa Kizza who plays for Montreal Impact in USA and Elvis Bwomono who plays at Southend United.
Among the midfielders, Mubiru has summoned youngster Allan Okello who plays for Paradou FC in Algeria. SuperSport United midfielder Moses Waiswa is also called up to the national team since suffering a knee injury in the buildup to the 2019 AFCON in Egypt.
Abdul Lumala also known as Electric man has been called up, the midfielder has recently returned from a knee injury that kept him out of action for the last five months.
Uganda Cranes all-time top scorer Emmanuel Okwi has also been summoned together with Wycombe Wanderer’s striker Uche Ikpeazu while Patrick Kaddu who last featured for the Cranes in November 2019 against Burkina Faso, Fahad Bayo and Daniel Isiagi are also part of the squad.
Uganda is second in Group B on seven points a point behind group leaders Burkina Faso. Malawi is third on four points while South Sudan is bottom of the group.
Uganda need only four points from their remaining two games to qualify for their third consecutive AFCON finals, the first time they have achieved that since qualifying for the 1974, 1976 and 1978 editions.
Here’s the list of the players who have been summoned
Goalkeepers:
Dennis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Jamal Salim (Al Hilal, Sudan), Charles Lukwago(KCCA FC-Uganda), Kigonya Mathias ( Azam FC- Tanzania)
Defenders:
Mugabi Bevis (Motherwell FC- Scotland), Kizza Mustapha (DC Montreal- USA), Ronald Mukiibi (Ostersunds FK, Sweden), Nico Wakiro Wadada (Azam, Tanzania), Timothy Denis Awany (Sport Club Ironi, Ashdod, Israel), Joseph Ochaya (TP Mazembe, Democratic Republic of Congo), Lwaliwa Halid (Vipers SC-Uganda), Elvis Bwomono (Southend United, England), Juuko Murushid (Express FC-Uganda), Kizito Mugweri Gavin (SC Villa- Uganda)
Midfielders:
Miya Faruku (Konyaspor- Turkey), Kizito Luwagga (Hapoel Kfar Saba- Israel), Waiswa Moses (SupersportUnited-South Africa), Lwanga Taddeo (Simba SC- Tanzania), Michael Azira (New Mexico United-, USA), Khalid Aucho (Misr Lel Makasa, Egypt), Allan Kyambadde (El Gouna, Egypt), Allan Okello (Paradou,Algeria), Lumala Abdu (Pyramids FC- Egypt), Bobosi Byaruhanga (Vipers SC-Uganda), Orit Ibrahim (Vipers SC-Uganda).
Forwards:
Emmanuel Arnold Okwi (Ittihad Alexandria, Egypt), Fahad Bayo (Sport Club Ironi Ashdod, Israel), KadduPatrick (Youssoufia Berrechid-Tunisia), Uche Mubiru Ikpeazu (Wycombe Wanderers, England), Sentamu Yunus (Vipers SC-Uganda), Isiagi Daniel (Jomo Cosmos-South Africa).
