Preparations for the final qualifier game of the 2019 AFCON against Tanzania later this month get underway with Uganda Cranes head coach Sebastien Desabre naming 15 foreign based players on his squad.
The French coach also released a list of 31 stars playing in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League from which nine players will be selected after a Regional tour match in Kampala for the camp in Cairo together with foreign based professionals.
The nine will be added to the 15 foreign based players to make it a 24-man squad for the Tanzania game.
Two experienced players in Hassan Wasswa Mawanda and Godfrey Walusimbi unattached to any club have also been included for training with the local based players.
“We are setting the ball rolling as we want to finish on a high in the group with good results against Tanzania I have summoned a new player on the team playing in Germany while some have been recalled to the squad. We are hopeful they will do a good job” Desabre told fufa media.
“I have been impressed with the quality of players in the domestic league. During the local camp I will choose nine players to complete the group for match against Taifa Stars” added Desabre.
“The local camp will also be an opportunity for me to have early preparations of players for 2020 CHAN Qualifiers against South Sudan in July and August,” noted the Frenchman who guided Uganda Cranes back to the 2019 AFCON.
The 15 foreign based players and 9 other stars from the local camp will join camp in Cairo, Egypt from 18th-22nd March 2019.
The match will be on Sunday, 24th March 2019 at the Benjamin Mkapa National stadium.
Eric Otogo Castane from Gabon will be the centre referee of the game and be assisted by fellow countrymen Moussounda Montel and Marlaise Ditsoga as his first and second assistants respectively.
Uganda is among the fourteen nations to have already secured a place at the 2019 Afcon while Tanzania will need to win and hope Lesotho falter against Cape Verde in the other Group L stage match.
The 15 foreign based players Summoned for camp in Cairo, Egypt: Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Jamal Salim (Al Hilah Omdruman, Sudan), Robert Odongkara ( Adama City FC, Ethiopia), Murushid Juuko (Simba, Tanzania), Denis Iguma ( Kazma, Kuwait), Nicolas Wadada Azam FC, Tanzania), Herbert Bockhorn Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Moses Opondo (VendsysselFF, Denmark), Joseph Ochaya (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Khalid Aucho (Church Hill Brothers, India), Faruku Miya (Gorica, Croatia), Edris Lubega (SV Reid, Austria), Emma Okwi (Simba-Tanzania), Karisa Milton (MC Oujda, Morocco), Muhammad Shaban (Raja Casablanca, Morocco)
The 31 local based players: Sebwato Nicholas (Onduparaka Fc), Saidi Keni (Sc Villa), James Alitho (URA FC), Charles Lukwago (KCCA FC), Obenchan Filbert (KCCA FC), Willa Paul (Police FC), Samson Mutyaba (Maroons FC), Kizza Mustafa (KCCA FC), Majwega Brian (Maroons FC), Godfrey Walusimbi (Unattached), Timothy Awanyi (KCCA FC), Mbowa Paul Baker (URA FC), Mujuzi Musitafa (Proline FC), Halid Lwaliwa (Vipers SC), Rashid Toha ( Onduparaka FC), Hassan Wasswa Mawanda (Unattached), Sadam Juma (KCCA FC), Eyam Ivan (Mbarara City FC), Taddeo Lwanga (Vipers SC), Okello Allan (KCCA FC), Waisswa Moses (Vipers SC), Bright Anukani (Proline FC), Owori David (Sc Villa), Allan Kyambadde (KCCA FC), Micheal Birungi (Express FC), Poloto Julius (KCCA C), Balinya Juma (Police FC), Serunkuma Daniel (Vipers SC), Kaddu Henry (KCCA FC), Madondo Joel (K-Jinja SS), Bashir Mutanda (Sc Villa).
Training programme:
11th -15th March 2019 – Training at Lugogo (Local based players)
13th March – FUFA Press Conference at 12.30pm: Uganda Cranes coach addresses media at Lugogo
16th March – Regional Tour match: Uganda Cranes vs Kampala Regional Select team, 9 players will be selected from this local camp to join the 15 foreign based players in Cairo.
17th March 2019 – Uganda Cranes Squad flies to Cairo for residential camp
18th-22nd March – (24 man Uganda Cranes Squad camp in Cairo, Egypt)
23rd March 2019 – (24 man Uganda Cranes Squad flies to Tanzania)
24th March 2019 – Tanzania vs Uganda (AFCON Qualifier in Dar es Salaam)