Uganda are back at the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since 2019. Qualification for the tournament went about as smoothly as Uganda could have hoped for, winning 4 out of their 6 qualifiers. The only loss for The Cranes came against group winners South Africa in Kampala.
Uganda don’t have many households names to call upon, but they are a well organized side under experienced head coach Paul Put. Uganda’s squad has quite the diversity in clubs they represent, with 16 different nations represented in the preliminary squad for the tournament. All the way from Thailand to North Macedonia.
Uganda will come into this AFCON as underdogs, as they were in 2019. Uganda were drawn into a difficult group which including the hosts, Egypt, DR Congo and Zimbabwe. 4 points from the three matches saw The Cranes finish second in the group and advance to the knockout rounds. Uganda fell to eventual finalists Senegal in the Round of 16, but it was the best finish at an Africa Cup of Nations for Uganda since 1978 when they reached the finals.
Not many would expect this iteration of Uganda to make it to the heights the 1978 squad reached, but the feeling is that Uganda will relish the underdog roll once again in 2025.
Potential Starting XI
Coach
Paul Put
Paul Put is no stranger to managing African national teams. Uganda is the 6th African nation the Belgian has taken charge of after: Congo, Guinea, Kenya, Burkina Faso, and Gambia.
Players to Watch
Khalid Aucho
Age: 32
Position: CM/DM
Caps/Goals: 72/2
Club: Singida SC (Tanzania)
The captain of Uganda, Khalid Aucho is the most experienced outfield player in the squad. The midfield general is one of only a few remaining players from the 2019 AFCON squad.
Jordan Obita
Age: 32
Position: CB/LB
Caps/Goals: 7/0
Club: Hibernian FC (Scotland)
Born in England, Jordan Obita only opted to play for the country of his fathers birth earlier in 2025. Obita immediately became an integral part of the squad, even captaining them in their recent friendly vs. Chad. A left-back throughout most of his career, Obita has transitioned to a centre-back and plays their for Uganda.
Uganda Schedule
December 23, 2025 vs. Tunisia – Rabat
December 27, 2025 vs. Tanzania – Rabat
December 30, 2025 vs. Nigeria – Fez
Country Information
Did you know…
The longest river in the world, the Nile, begins it’s journey in Uganda at Lake Victoria, near the city of Jinja.
