NO GABON FRIENDLY: HOW WILL PAUL PUT FINALIZE UGANDA CRANES’S AFCON LINEUP
With the Gabon friendly cancelled, how does Paul Put plan to finalise Uganda's starting XI before their AFCON opener vs. Tunisia?
Uganda's last friendly got cancelled, but coach Paul Put is still locked in on getting ready for Afcon 2025. The Cranes are settling into Rabat and getting down to business.
Put had everything planned out, hoping for a clear picture. Instead, he had to compromise.
This final warm-up game was supposed to help nail down player combinations, roles, and positioning.
But the match against Gabon was called off because of transportation problems on their end, leaving the Cranes without that last practice run.
For Put, it's just another thing that's made preparing a challenge.
Players based in Europe showed up late. Release times changed, and he had to redo training plans quickly.
The coach said earlier that normally, teams get two weeks to prep players before the event. But messages came in late, letting him know that players from abroad can be around in mid-December.
The Gabon game was supposed to be the grand moment. A chance for Put to try out his starting lineup on purpose.
During the draw with AS Far Rabat, key defenders like Toby Sibbick and others weren't playing, while striker Melvyn Lorenzen just joined the team.
Time to adjust. The Cranes came to Morocco over time.
They stayed in Casablanca for about two weeks, played AS Far Rabat, and got their rhythm going in training.
After the Gabon game fell through, FUFA set up a new plan: one last practice, then a move to Rabat, where Uganda will stay for their matches in Group C. That's part of getting ready, too.
AFCON kicks off on Sunday, but Uganda plays Tunisia in Rabat on Tuesday.
It's a tough start, followed by games against Tanzania and Nigeria. The team will need to be at their best right away.
Put knows a friendly game doesn't make or break readiness. Structure, command, and a clear head do.
He's often talked about player combinations and reacting when things get tough, balancing youth with experience, and deciding early so players can grow. Those talks don't stop just because a game got canned.
The goalie situation is still up in the air, but the defence is set. There are a few choices for midfield. Up front, the team has more competition.
Even without that final practice, the main goal is still the same.
Uganda's in Rabat, ready to compete. AFCON isn't about perfect prep anyway. It's about being able to change plans, staying calm, and keeping the faith when things get tough.
He has had some setbacks, but his work is just getting started.
KCCA BOUNCE BACK: KASASIRO BOYS OVERCOME RECENT SLUMP WITH A GRITTY 2-1 BUL WIN
KCCA are back: Discover how Ivan Ahimbisibwe and Herbert Achai secured a 2-1 win over Bul to rejoin the UPL title race.
Ivan Ahimbisibwe and Herbert Achai both found the net for KCCA, either side of a Denis Sewagudde goal, in a win that really should let coaches Ssenyondo and Jackson Magera breathe a little easier.
Zeal. Hunger. Character. Attitude. That’s what KCCA coach Brian Ssenyondo wanted to see after his team got handed their third loss in five games last week, a 3-1 defeat to NEC that stung. This time, he finally got it. KCCA showed all those qualities and pulled off a gritty 2-1 victory over Bul in the Uganda Premier League at Phillip Omondi Stadium on Wednesday night.
Ahimbisibwe and Achai scored for KCCA, with Sewagudde briefly levelling for Bul, and the result means Ssenyondo and Magera can at least feel the pressure lift for now.
But maybe more importantly, this win drags KCCA back into the title race. They’re now sitting on 33 points from 17 games, just five behind leaders Vipers.
The game started off tight, both sides feeling each other out, but Bul looked a little sharper early on. Even so, it was KCCA who broke the deadlock in the 31st minute with their first real chance. They overloaded the right, Saidi Mayanja whipped in a cross, and Ahimbisibwe, timing his run just right, dived in for a header. That’s his seventh goal of the season, and honestly, he’s been one of the few bright spots among the club’s new signings.
KCCA then had to dig in. Achai made a crucial block to deny Karim Ndugwa after a cross from Reagan Kalyowa. But just before halftime, the tricky Sewagudde bent in a free kick that completely wrong-footed KCCA keeper Mutwalibi Mugolofa, and Bul were level.
After the break, KCCA rediscovered their missing edge. Four minutes into the second half, left-back Achai stormed forward, played a quick one-two with Ashraf Mugume, then hammered the ball past Bul’s Ikara at the near post.
From there, KCCA held Bul at bay, sealing a rare home-and-away double over their Njeru-based rivals, who remain eighth on 20 points.
Earlier that day, Lugazi captain Richard Ayiko grabbed the winner as his side edged UPDF 1-0 in Najjembe, giving them a six-point cushion above the relegation zone. And at the bottom, Calvary finally picked up their fifth point of the season with a goalless draw against Express in Yumbe.
TITLE RACE HEAT: HOW VIPERS DROPPING HOME POINTS GIVES KITARA A CHANCE TO STRIKE
Vipers SC stay top of the UPL with 38 points! Discover how Warren Buule’s equaliser for NEC FC shook up the title race at Kitende.
NEC are stuck in seventh place with 24 points from 17 games. Vipers, even after dropping home points for just the second time this season, hang on to the top spot with 38.
Honestly, NEC have drawn more games than they'd like, nine out of 17. That’s a lot of stalemates in the Startimes Uganda Premier League. But this time, their 1-1 draw away to the reigning champs, Vipers, felt like more than just another point. It actually meant something, especially under the lights at St. Mary’s Stadium in Kitende on Tuesday evening.
Vipers came out flying. They grabbed the lead early and pretty much ran the first half. Six minutes in, Milton Karisa latched onto a slick through ball from Karim Watambala and curled a lovely left-footed shot past NEC keeper Hannington Ssebwalunyo. That was Karisa’s sixth goal of the season, and for a minute there, it looked like the Vipers were about to run riot, just like they did in their 4-0 demolition of Buhimba last time at home.
NEC looked shaky. Coach Badru Kaddu had seen enough and made two early changes, bringing on Shamir Kimwero and Joseph Dhata for Rashid Kawawa and Daniel Shabene inside 25 minutes. The switch helped steady things, but NEC didn’t really come to life until the second half.
Then, with 15 minutes left, substitute Emmanuel Kulanga swung in a cross, and Warren Buule was there at the far post to head in the equaliser. That goal was well earned; NEC were much better after the break. Richard Basangwa, playing up front, kept his old team busy and even got Bady Da Silva and Enoch Ssebagala booked. Ssebagala didn’t last much longer, getting subbed off after a rough tackle on his former side.
NEC has been busy in the mid-season transfer window. They’ve already added six new faces, and more are on the way. Sam Ssekamatte, who scored five goals for UPDF in the first round, watched from the stands with the rest of the unused squad.
So, NEC holds on to seventh, Vipers stay top, but Kitara could shake things up if they beat URA on Thursday. This title race isn’t done yet.
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