The Uganda Cranes are set to feature in two international friendlies next month, and head coach Paul Joseph Put has named a 28-man squad ahead of the matches.
Uganda will face Cameroon on June 6 and The Gambia on June 9, but a number of notable names will be missing from the squad, including some regular starters.
Leading the list of absentees is team captain Khalid Aucho, who is joined by defenders Aziz Kayondo and Bevis Mugabi, all of whom are usually part of the Cranes’ starting XI.
Also missing from the squad are SC Villa captain Ronald Ssekiganda and KCCA’s Gavin Kizito Mugweri, who can operate both in defense and midfield.
Gavin, alongside Kayondo and Kenneth Ssemakula, has been part of the senior national setup since progressing from the U20 side, the Hippos.
However, his recent struggles at KCCA make his omission less surprising.
Injury concerns have played a significant role in these exclusions.
Ssekiganda has endured an injury-hit second half of the season, while Aucho has missed several games for Tanzanian giants Young Africans, including the Cranes’ World Cup qualifying win over Guinea at Namboole in March.
The absence of Kayondo and Mugabi seems to align with Coach Put’s approach to these friendlies, prioritizing players who are based locally or have been on the fringes of the national team, likely with the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) in mind.
CHAN, scheduled for August, allows only players active in domestic leagues.
Though CHAN preparations officially begin in July, these friendlies provide a valuable early assessment for the coaching staff.
The matches that will both be played in Morocco could shape the Cranes’ domestic-based core ahead of a busy second half of 2025.
