Paul Put has shown his hand. The Uganda Cranes head coach has named a 28-man squad that will carry the country’s hopes into the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Tunisia and Libya, wrapped around by two testing friendlies with DR Congo.
It is a packed, unforgiving window: four games between September 24 and October 5, with little room for error and even less for sentiment.
Tunisia away, Libya at home – and no hiding place
Uganda open their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign away to Tunisia on September 24, a fixture that will demand resilience and maturity in one of African football’s most hostile environments. Five days later, on September 29, the Cranes return home to host Libya, a match that could define the tone of their qualifying push.
Once the competitive dust settles, DR Congo await in back-to-back friendlies on October 2 and 5. Those games will not carry points, but they will carry consequences. For some players, they will decide who stays in Put’s long-term plans.
The international window officially runs from September 21 to October 6. Uganda will use almost every inch of it.
Onyango back to marshal the last line
The headline name is unmistakable. Denis Onyango, the veteran goalkeeper from Mamelodi Sundowns, returns to provide experience and authority between the posts. He is joined by David Lukwago of SC Villa and Hannington Ssebwalunyo of NEC FC, a blend of old hands and domestic standouts tasked with anchoring a side that will spend long spells under pressure, especially in North Africa.
Put has not been shy about what he wants: form, fitness, commitment. Onyango ticks all three.
Defence built on versatility and mileage
Across the back line, Put has gone for legs, versatility and players used to different footballing cultures.
Toby Sibbick of Burton Albion and Nathan Asiimwe of Salford City bring English league experience. Herbert Bockhorn arrives from FC Magdeburg in Germany, while Rogers Torach (CS Constantine) and Aziz Kayondo (Slovan Liberec) add a North African and Central European edge.
Herbert Achayi (KCCA FC), Geofrey Lubanga Kene (SC Villa), Hillary Mukundane (Vipers SC) and Gavin Kizito (Nairobi United) complete a defensive unit that mixes local league regulars with foreign-based professionals. Jonathan Odongo of UPPC is also included, another nod to the domestic scene’s importance in Put’s rebuild.
It is not a star-studded back line. It is a working one, designed to travel, to suffer, and to survive.
Midfield engine room trimmed for work, not glamour
In midfield, the list is short but deliberate. Baba Alhassan (Mardin 1996 Spor) and Noble Okello (Lexington SC) add steel and range. Kenneth Semakula, now at Al Ittihad Alexandria, brings North African know-how that could prove vital against Tunisia and Libya.
Allan Oyirwoth of Dunfermline FC and Joseph Seremba of Nairobi United round out the options, offering Put a mix of energy and technical balance. It is a group that will be asked to cover ground, protect the defence and launch the front line in transition.
No luxury picks. Every name has a job.
Attack heavy with promise – and one mystery name
Up front, Put has stacked the deck.
James Bogere (AGF), Travis Mutyaba (CS Sfaxien), Denis Omedi (Gor Mahia), Rogers Mato (Hearts) and Hassan Mubiru (Azam) headline a forward line full of pace and ambition. Sadam Masereka (Colorado Springs Switchbacks), Steven Mukwala (Al Nasr), Richard Basangwa (NEC FC) and Frank Ssebufu (SC Villa) add depth and variety.
One forward in the official FUFA list was identified only by his club, AS FAR of Morocco, with no name attached in the announcement. The detail underlines how fluid this squad-building process remains: doors are opening, places are still being claimed.
Put wants goals, but he also wants pressing, movement and sacrifice. This group will be judged on all three.
Big absentees and a clear message
The squad list is notable not only for who is in, but for who is missing.
Jordan Obita and Elio Capradossi are out injured. Captain Khalid Aucho, Salim Jamal, Uche Ikpeazu, John Paul Dembe, Bobosi Byaruhanga and Jude Ssemugabi have also been left out of this window.
Put has been clear about his reasoning. Some of those players are currently without clubs or have only just completed transfers and lack minutes. Others are coming back from long-term injuries and are not yet at full match fitness.
The Belgian has not slammed the door. He has left it ajar. He insists those absentees can return once they regain rhythm and readiness. But the message is unmistakable: reputation alone will not earn a call-up.
A defining stretch for Put’s Uganda
Four games in 12 days will stress-test everything Put has tried to build: his selection, his system, his authority.
Tunisia away will reveal the team’s backbone. Libya at home will test their nerve. DR Congo, twice, will expose their depth.
For some of these 28 players, this window is an opportunity. For others, it is an audition. For Uganda, it may be the first real glimpse of what Paul Put’s Cranes are going to look like on the road to AFCON 2027.
