Reports of a player strike have emerged from the Uganda Cranes camp in Morocco days before the start of AFCON 2025, after the team failed to hold a scheduled training session on Saturday evening in Rabat.
According to information from within camp, a section of players refused to train as they demanded payment of outstanding allowances from the AFCON qualifiers and clarity on their financial terms for the tournament.
The standoff reportedly led to the cancellation of the 4.00 PM session at the Stade Olympique Annex.
Journalists on the ground say members of the coaching staff led by head coach Paul Put arrived at the venue about 30 minutes before kick-off time.
With no team bus in sight, the staff laid out training equipment on the pitch before abruptly packing up and returning to the team hotel minutes later.
Efforts to get a clear response from Put produced only a brief comment, with the coach suggesting the disruption risked interfering with his preparation plans.
As of Saturday night, the team had issued no official statement explaining the missed session.
The development comes at a delicate moment for Uganda, who officially set camp in Rabat on December 19 after initially basing in Casablanca.
The Cranes are using the Stade Olympique Annex for training, with all their Group C matches set to be played in the Moroccan capital.
Uganda open their AFCON 2025 campaign against Tunisia on Tuesday night at 11.00 PM EAT. They will also face Tanzania on December 27 and Nigeria on December 30 in one of the toughest groups at the tournament.
Put recently named his final 28 man squad blending experience and youth, with teenage forward James Bogere among those named alongside the likes of notably Allan Okello and Denis Onyango.
As part of Pre-AFCON preparations, the team drew 2-2 with AS FAR Rabat in a build-up friendly intended to sharpen tactical structure and match fitness.
Uganda qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for the ninth time and return to the tournament after last featuring in 2019, where they exited at the round of 16 stage.
Their best finish remains the 1978 edition, when they ended as runners-up to hosts Ghana.
With kick-off days away, uncertainty over player welfare now threatens to overshadow on-pitch preparations, as attention turns to how quickly the situation within camp is resolved.
