# Uganda 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.

## History

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

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
## Coaching staff

| 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

    Interim coaches are listed in italics.
* Alan Rogers (1965–1966)
* Robert Kiberu (19??–1969, 1988–1989)
* Burkhard Pape (1969–1972)
* David Otti (1973–1974)
* Otto Westerhoff (1974–1975)
* Peter Okee (1976–1981, 1983)
* Jaberi Bidandi Ssali (1982)
* George Mukasa (1984–1985)
* Barnabas Mwesiga (1986–1988)
* Polly Ouma (1989–1995)
* Timothy Ayieko (1995–1996)
* Asuman Lubowa (1996–1999)
* Paul Hasule (1999, 2001–2003)
* Harrison Okagbue (1999–2001)
* Pedro Pasculli (2003)
* Leo Adraa (2003–2004)
* Mike Mutebi (2004)
* Mohammed Abbas (2004–2006)
* Csaba László (2006–2008)
* Bobby Williamson (2008–2013)
* Milutin Sredojević (2013–2017)
* Moses Basena and Fred Kajoba (2017)
* Sébastien Desabre (2017–2019)
* Abdallah Mubiru (2019, 2021)
* Johnny McKinstry (2019–2021)
* Milutin Sredojević (2021–2023)
* Morley Beyekwaso (2023)
* Paul Put (2023-present)

## Players
### Current squad

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.
Caps and goals are correct as of 19 November 2024, after the match against Congo.
| 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 21) | 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 21) | 1 | 0 | Mjällby |

### Recent call-ups

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 | Athlone Town | v. Ghana; 26 March 2024 |

## Player records

    As of 19 November 2024
    Players in bold are still active with Uganda.

## Competitive record
### FIFA World Cup

| Final | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final | Qualification | Qualification | Qualification | Qualification | Qualification | Qualification |
| 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 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member |
| 1962 to 1974 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1978 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 1982 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1986 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 1990 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1994 | Withdrew during qualifying | Withdrew during qualifying | Withdrew during qualifying | Withdrew during qualifying | Withdrew during qualifying | Withdrew during qualifying | Withdrew during qualifying | Withdrew during qualifying | Withdrew during qualifying | Withdrew during qualifying | Withdrew during qualifying | Withdrew during qualifying | Withdrew during qualifying | Withdrew during qualifying |
| 1998 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 2002 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| 2006 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 12 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 18 |
| 2010 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 9 |
| 2014 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6 |
| 2018 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 2 |
| 2022 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 2026 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| 2030 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| 2034 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| Total | | | | | | | | | 52 | 19 | 12 | 21 | 49 | 53 |
Africa Cup of Nations
Africa Cup of Nations record
Year
Round
Position
Pld
W
D*
L
GF
GA
1957Not affiliated to CAF
1959
1962Fourth place4th200215
1963Withdrew
1965Did not qualify
1968Group stage8th300328
1970Did not qualify
1972
1974Group stage6th301235
1976Group stage8th300326
1978Runners-up2nd530297
1980Withdrew
1982
1984Did not qualify
1986
1988
1990Withdrew
1992 to 2015Did not qualify
2017Group stage13th301213
2019Round of 1613th411234
2021Did not qualify
2023
2025Qualified
2027Qualified as co-hosts
Total2343162138
African Nations Championship
African Nations Championship record
Year
Round
Position
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
2009Did not qualify
2011Group stage15th300315
201412th311134
201612th302134
201812th301214
202014th301237
202211th311123
2024Qualified as co-hosts
Total1826101327
African Games
YearRoundPldWDLGFGA
19656th place51131014
1973–1987Did not enter
Total-51131014
CECAFA Cup
Main article: CECAFA Cup
(1973–2023)
CECAFA Cup – Gold medal 15 times
CECAFA Cup – Silver medal 5 times
CECAFA Cup – Bronze medal 7 times
Other tournaments
Year
Round
1989 Peace and Friendship CupRunners-up
1962 Ugandan Independence TournamentRunners-up :

## Head-to-head record

Completely updated and corrected per the cited source on 15 November 2024
| Against | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | GD |
| Algeria | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 19 | −9 |
| Angola | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| Benin | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | −2 |
| Bahrain | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | –2 |
| Botswana | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 |
| Burkina Faso | 8 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 |
| Burundi | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 25 | 10 | +15 |
| Cameroon | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 11 | −4 |
| Central African Republic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 |
| Cape Verde | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +2 |
| Chad | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 |
| Comoros | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | –2 |
| Congo | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 7 | +6 |
| DR Congo | 14 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 23 | −13 |
| Djibouti | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 3 | +31 |
| Ecuador | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 |
| Egypt | 19 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 13 | 36 | −23 |
| Eritrea | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 4 | +8 |
| Ethiopia | 33 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 47 | 39 | +8 |
| Gabon | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 |
| Gambia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Ghana | 13 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 13 | −3 |
| Guinea | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 14 | −3 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 |
| Iceland | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Iran | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Iraq | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | –1 |
| Ivory Coast | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 | –2 |
| Kenya | 55 | 19 | 26 | 11 | 62 | 58 | +4 |
| Kuwait | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 |
| Lebanon | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 |
| Lesotho | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | +8 |
| Liberia | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 |
| Libya | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Madagascar | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 6 | +4 |
| Malawi | 29 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 33 | 30 | +3 |
| Mali | 7 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 10 | −6 |
| Mauritania | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 |
| Mauritius | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 5 | +8 |
| Morocco | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 8 | –1 |
| Moldova | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 |
| Namibia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 |
| Niger | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 9 | +3 |
| Nigeria | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | +1 |
| Rwanda | 35 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 43 | 26 | +17 |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 |
| Saudi Arabia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 |
| Senegal | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | −4 |
| Seychelles | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 |
| Somalia | 23 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 69 | 9 | +60 |
| South Africa | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 13 | −5 |
| South Sudan | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 6 | +14 |
| Sudan | 24 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 35 | 20 | +15 |
| Tajikistan | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Tanzania | 60 | 33 | 17 | 10 | 100 | 54 | +46 |
| Togo | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 12 | −6 |
| Tunisia | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 16 | −15 |
| Turkmenistan | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Uzbekistan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | –2 |
| Yemen | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Zambia | 38 | 12 | 7 | 19 | 41 | 51 | -10 |
| Zanzibar | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| Zimbabwe | 16 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 11 | 14 | −3 |
| Total | 571 | 234 | 159 | 178 | 767 | 612 | +155 |
Note: Country in italic is not a member of FIFA.
Source:

## Honours
### Continental

* Africa Cup of Nations
** Runners-up (1): 1978

### Regional

* CECAFA Cup
** Champions (15): 1973, 1976, 1977, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019
** Runners-up (5): 1974, 1982, 1994, 1995, 2000
** Third-place (7): 1983, 1984, 1987, 1991, 2007, 2010, 2017

### Awards

* African National Team of the Year: 2016