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Coach Paul Put with is players on arrival in Botswana
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Sports Desk
The Uganda Cranes’ second contingent of ten foreign-based players has today safely arrived in Gaborone, Botswana, ahead of the team’s crucial FIFA World Cup qualifier against the hosts scheduled for Thursday.
The players include Bobosi Byaruhanga, Nafian Alionzi, Kenneth Semakula, team captain Khalid Aucho, Steven Mukwala, Toby Sibbick, Jordan Obita, Uche Ikpeazu Mubiru, Elio Capradosi, and Abdu Aziizi Kayondo.
They join the locally based players Allan Okello (Vipers SC), Rogers Torach (Vipers SC), Hilary Mukundane (Vipers SC), Enock Ssebagala (Vipers SC), Gavin Kizito (KCCA FC), Herbert Achayi (KCCA FC), Reagan Mpande (SC Villa), and Jude Ssemugabi (Jamus FC, South Sudan), who arrived yesterday.
The full squad will be completed later today and tomorrow when the remaining players join the camp. They include Salim Omar Magoola (Richards Bay, South Africa), Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Allan Oyirwoth (New England Revolution FC, USA), Ronald Sekiganda (APR FC, Rwanda), Denis Omedi (APR FC, Rwanda), Travis Mutyaba (CS Sfaxien, Tunisia), Joseph Mpande (PVF CAND FC, Vietnam), and Rogers Mato (FK Vardar, North Macedonia).
Uganda currently sits second in Group G and is chasing qualification for the next stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. After the Botswana match, the Cranes will travel to Algiers to face group leaders Algeria on Tuesday, October 14, at the Hocine Aït Ahmed Stadium.
Algeria, who lead Group G with 19 points, are just one win away from securing automatic qualification. Uganda follows closely with 15 points, four behind the leaders.
To keep their qualification hopes alive, Uganda must beat Botswana and aim for a strong finish that could place them among the four best second-placed teams advancing to the continental qualification round. The best team from that stage will represent Africa in the intercontinental playoff, the final qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Torch Media Africa
