Uganda Cranes head coach Paul Put has called for greater focus and discipline as his team prepares to face The Gambia on July 9 in Morocco, following a 3-0 defeat to Cameroon in their first friendly.
Speaking after the loss in Marrakech, Put expressed disappointment with the manner of the goals conceded but insisted there were positives to build on.
“I think first half we played good but unfortunately you give a goal away, it’s ridiculous, this can’t happen on this level,” Put said.
“In the second half we asked the players to concentrate but still we conceded in the same way. We tried to create good chances but couldn’t score. We take the positives in the way we tried to create chances and we shall build on that going forward.”
The Belgian tactician emphasized the need for sharper concentration and better execution in their next outing.
With Uganda in a rebuilding phase, Put highlighted the importance of these international friendlies in assessing player combinations and testing tactical strategies.
Against Cameroon, Uganda struggled with set-piece marking, conceding from a free-kick and a corner, before a third came via a slick team move finished by Patrick Soko.
Put introduced several young players including Travis Mutyaba and Patrick Jonah Kakande, and gave minutes to others such as Muhammed Shaban and Isima Watenga. However, key players like Joel Mutakubwa, Tony Sibbick, and Isaac Muleme were not featured.
Looking ahead to the Gambia fixture, Put said, “Hopefully we shall get the positive results… in total we played well but unfortunately we conceded too easy.”
The friendly against The Gambia will offer another opportunity for Put to assess his squad’s progress as Uganda continues its preparation phase under new leadership.
