FUFA has made a bold move ahead of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 by appointing SC Villa’s tactician, Morley Byekwaso, as the head coach of the Uganda Cranes CHAN squad.
He will be deputized by Fred Muhumuza, fresh off a Uganda Premier League (UPL) triumph with Vipers, while the senior national team coach, Paul Joseph Put, will oversee the preparations and progress throughout the tournament.
The much-anticipated CHAN tournament is scheduled to run from August 2 to 30, 2025, with Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania co-hosting under the Pamoja East Africa banner.
Uganda has been drawn in Group C alongside football heavyweights Algeria, South Africa, Guinea, and Niger, with all group matches set to be played on home soil.
A Winning Partnership
Byekwaso, who previously made history as the first Ugandan coach to qualify a national team for a FIFA World Cup, the Uganda U20 Hippos, brings a wealth of experience and tactical nous to the Cranes.
Although COVID-19 denied his team a chance to compete in the 2020 U20 World Cup, his reputation as a developer of young talent and strategic leader remains intact.
“FUFA is pleased to announce the appointment of the following coaching panel for the Uganda National Team participating in the CHAN 2024 tournament, scheduled to take place in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania from August 2nd to August 30th, 2025, under the Pamoja East Africa hosting arrangement”
“The coaching panel comprises Fred Muhumuza and Morley Byekwaso. Both coaches will be supervised and monitored by Uganda Cranes Head Coach Paul Put throughout the team’s participation in the tournament. Further technical personnel will be announced in due course, following the naming of the squad,” a FUFA Statement read.
Byekwaso’s recent success includes helping SC Villa clinch the Uganda Premier League title for the first time in 20 years during the 2023/24 season as an assistant coach under Dusan Stojanovic.
His blend of tactical discipline and player development will be critical as Uganda aims to advance past the group stages, a feat the country has yet to achieve in CHAN history.
Fred Muhumuza, who will serve as Byekwaso’s deputy, is no stranger to success either.
Coming off a triumphant season with Vipers, where he secured both the UPL title and the Uganda Cup, Muhumuza brings championship-winning experience and leadership to the coaching setup.
Paul Put’s Supervisory Role
While Byekwaso and Muhumuza will lead day-to-day preparations, Paul Joseph Put remains the senior national team head coach and will supervise the CHAN coaching panel throughout the tournament.
This arrangement ensures continuity and alignment with the overall vision for Uganda’s football ambitions.
The Road to CHAN 2024
CHAN has faced multiple postponements due to host nation readiness, but this third attempt looks set to go ahead as planned. Uganda has consistently participated in all editions since the tournament’s inception in 2009, except the first, yet has never progressed beyond the group stage.
This time, with the advantage of home ground support and a dynamic coaching team, hopes are high that the Uganda Cranes will break new ground.
The tournament also serves as a vital test run for the region ahead of AFCON 2027, which Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania will jointly host.
Looking Ahead
As the CHAN 2024 build-up begins in earnest, FUFA promises further announcements on technical staff and squad selections in the coming weeks. Ugandan football fans will be watching closely, eager to see their team write a new chapter in the country’s footballing history.
