Tuesday, September 7
•Uganda Vs Libya – Hoima City Stadium, 7pm
Uganda Cranes head coach Paul Put has called for patience as the team works to integrate its new heritage players ahead of Tuesday’s AFCON 2027 qualifier against Libya at Hoima City Stadium.
FUFA has added a number of players with Ugandan roots to the national team setup, including Abdoulaye Sissako, Gaucho Debohi, Arnold Vula and Kingdom Osayi, with some in contention to make their Uganda debuts against Libya.
Put says the new arrivals need time to develop an understanding with the existing players, having only spent two days with the squad.
“We have to be patient with them. They have been here for two days, so integration is always important. Cohesion takes time,” Put said.
The coach explained that the decision to bring in the heritage players was driven by Uganda’s past results and need to strengthen the squad as it prepares to compete against some of Africa’s top sides.
“We tried to reinforce because of our results in AFCON and World Cup qualifiers. It’s also on them to prove what they can bring on board,” he said.
Put added that the new players bring experience from some of Europe’s biggest competitions, with several having featured in the UEFA Champions League and Europa League.
“We brought on players with maturity and experience, those who have experience with UCL and UEL. Same level with the continent’s best,” he said.
However, Put acknowledged that Uganda still has areas to improve after the 1-1 draw with Tunisia in their opening match.
“Tunisia game was tough, but I was pleased we showed fight and showed presence in duels. There are things we have to do better, like the goal we conceded. We don’t have to give many chances.”
The coach also revealed that Uganda will have an opportunity to further assess the new players during two planned friendly matches against DR Congo in South Africa.
“We have two friendlies in South Africa against DR Congo, we can try things out. Positive between old and new ones. Let’s wait till tomorrow and everyone will know who is going to play.”
Put, however, stressed that Uganda cannot afford to lose focus on the immediate task against Libya.
“Football is very funny. No one will talk about Tunisia if we fail to beat Libya,” he said.
He also highlighted the need for experience across the team, particularly in midfield.
“We have to put experience in every line. Most are centres, midfield. We need experience in that very line.”
On the development of local players, Put said he remains committed to giving them opportunities despite the challenges created by player transfers.
“Since I came to Uganda, I have given them a lot of chances and they have appreciated me. They are part of us, they are in camp and will improve,” he said.
“Automatically, if you are training with good players around you, they will improve. You will become better. This is good for their development because of who is surrounding them.”
Put said he remains confident in the ability of Uganda’s locally based players, noting that the movement of several players abroad is evidence of their potential.
“We have to believe in them, they are talented. We had about 14, but every season we have about five or four who move out, and that makes my work difficult because you have to look for replacements. We had Ssemakula, Travis… it’s a good sign. If they were not good, they wouldn’t have transferred. I will give them the confidence.”
Uganda captain Denis Onyango also backed the integration of the new players, insisting they should be given an opportunity to show what they can add to the team.
The Cranes earned a 1-1 draw against Tunisia in their opening match and will be seeking their first victory against Libya.
The match, scheduled for 7pm, will also mark Uganda’s first-ever game at the newly constructed Hoima City Stadium.
Post a comment