Uganda Cranes Depart for Tunisia Ahead of AFCON Qualifier

Uganda Cranes officials and seven domestic players have travelled to Tunisia before the opening AFCON 2027 qualifier in Rades.

Uganda Cranes officials and seven locally based players departed for Tunisia ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Tunisia. The Group H match will be played at Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi in Rades on Thursday, 24 September 2026.

Head coach Paul Joseph Put led the travelling group, which will establish camp in Tunis before foreign-based players arrive directly from their clubs. Uganda will then return home to face Libya at Hoima City Stadium on Tuesday, 29 September.

Uganda Cranes September and October Fixtures

CAF’s schedule lists Tunisia against Uganda at 19:00 GMT and Uganda against Libya at 16:00 GMT, corresponding to 10:00 pm and 7:00 pm in Uganda. Kick-off details should still be checked near matchday in case organisers announce changes.

Seven Domestic Players Travel with Officials

The local contingent contains goalkeepers David Lukwago of SC Villa and Hannington Ssebwalunyo of NEC. Entebbe UPPC defender Gift Jonathan Odongo, SC Villa’s Geofrey Lubanga Kene, Vipers defender Hillary Mukundane, NEC forward Richard Basangwa and SC Villa attacker Frank Sebufu complete the group.

Foreign-Based Players Join in Tunisia

Captain Denis Onyango heads the goalkeeping department alongside Lukwago and Ssebwalunyo. The defensive options include Toby Sibbick, Rogers Torach Ochaki, Aziizi Kayondo, Herbert Bockhorn, Nathan Asiimwe, Kene, Mukundane, Gavin Kizito Mugweri and Odongo.

The midfield group comprises Baba Alhassan, Noble Okello, Kenneth Ssemakula, Allan Oyirwoth, Joseph Seremba and Bobosi Byaruhanga. Put’s attacking choices include Allan Okello, James Bogere, Travis Mutyaba, Denis Omedi, Rogers Mato, Hassan Mubiru, Sadam Masereka, Steven Mukwala, Basangwa and Sebufu.

Uganda Already Qualified as a Co-Host

Although these matches form part of the qualifying competition, Uganda is already guaranteed a place at AFCON 2027 as a co-host with Kenya and Tanzania. CAF states that the three host nations qualify automatically regardless of their group results.

Uganda’s Group H also includes Tunisia, Libya and Botswana. Under CAF’s published format, the best-finishing team in a group containing a host nation qualifies alongside that host. The Cranes can therefore use the campaign to compete seriously, improve cohesion and prepare for the finals without their tournament place depending on the group table.

Botswana complete Group H, with every non-host team competing for the additional finals place available.

That distinction matters when describing the Tunisia and Libya matches. Results remain important for performance, rankings, confidence and preparation, but Uganda are not fighting to secure the automatic finals place already provided through hosting rights.

Hoima City Stadium Set for Cranes Milestone

The Libya fixture is scheduled to become Uganda Cranes’ first international match at Hoima City Stadium. The venue is among the facilities connected to the East African tournament, giving supporters in western Uganda an opportunity to watch the national team locally.

Hosting a competitive international also provides an operational test involving the pitch, team facilities, crowd movement, security and matchday organisation. The occasion will therefore carry significance beyond the points available against Libya.

DR Congo Friendlies Extend the Camp

Uganda will travel to Johannesburg after the two qualifiers for consecutive friendlies against DR Congo on 2 and 5 October. Those fixtures give Put further time to evaluate players, test different combinations and manage workloads before the squad returns to club football.

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Verdict

The early departure gives Uganda’s domestic contingent valuable time to settle before the foreign-based players join camp. Tunisia will provide a demanding opening test, followed by a historic first Cranes international at Hoima City Stadium against Libya. With qualification already secured through co-host status, the campaign should be judged by preparation, cohesion and competitive progress towards AFCON 2027.