The trend of summoning foreign-born players of Ugandan descent continues to grow, often met with mixed outcomes, some embrace the opportunity, others decline.
While players like Elio Capradossi and Elvis Bwomono have proudly donned the Uganda Cranes jersey, Uche Mubiru Ikpeazu turned down the chance on multiple occasions despite being approached.
Now, a new name has emerged, Jordan John Obita, a versatile defender currently plying his trade with Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership.
Born in England, the 31-year-old has received his first-ever call-up to the Uganda national team for the upcoming international friendlies against Cameroon (June 6) and The Gambia (June 9), both scheduled to take place in Morocco.
Obita didn’t hesitate to show his enthusiasm. Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: “So excited to be called up for the first time.”
His club Hibernian also celebrated the news on their official page: “Congratulations to Jordan Obita, who has been selected in the most recent Uganda team for their upcoming fixtures against Cameroon and The Gambia!”
Born on December 8, 1993, in Oxford to Ugandan parents, Obita has had a respectable football journey, featuring for several English clubs including Reading, Barnet, Gillingham, Portsmouth, Oldham, Oxford United, and Wycombe Wanderers before joining Hibernian in 2023.
He has since made 61 appearances, scoring once for the Scottish side.
Obita brings versatility to the Cranes, capable of playing as a left back, winger, or central midfielder.
Although he previously represented England at U18, U19, and U20 levels, he never broke into the senior Three Lions squad, leaving the door open for him to represent Uganda at the senior level.
If selected to feature in the upcoming friendlies, Obita will finally make his international debut, and it will be for the Pearl of Africa.
