The Azam Uganda Premier League will have six players at the 2017 Africa Nations Cup in Gabon.Uganda Cranes coach Mulitin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic named the six on his final 23-man squad that will hold the Ugandan flag at the finals on return after 39 years.
Reigning league champions KCCA have the most players with three in defenders Timothy Awany and Joseph Ochaya as well as veteran centre forward, Geoffrey Sserunkuma who leads the goal scoring charts in the league.
FUFA Airtel Footballer of the Year Muhammad Shaban also makes the team together with Vipers’ duo of Nicholas Wadada and Hassan Wasswa Mawanda who is bound to join a Lebanese club after the finals.
Unfortunately, there is no place on the team for arguably the league’s best attacking midfielder Muzamiru Mutyaba, his KCCA teammate Benjamin Ochan and Proline promising forward Edirisa Lubega who were all dropped after the Cranes lost 2-0 to Tunisia in a warm up game on Wednesday.
Away from the playing staff, the team has premiership coaches; Fred Kajoba (Bright Stars) as goalkeeping coach and The Saints’ Moses Basena as Micho’s assistant.
KCCA team physio Ivan Ssewanyana is also on the team that has legendary Ronald Kisolo as team doctor.
Uganda is drawn in pool D with four-time champions Ghana, record African champions Egypt and 1972 finalists Mali.
Uganda Cranes Final 23 man squad:
Goalkeepers: Salim Jamal (Al Merreikh, Sudan), Robert Odongkara (Saint George, Ethiopia), Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa)
Defenders: Timothy Dennis Awany (KCCA, Uganda), Joseph Benson Ochaya (KCCA), Shafiq Batambuze (Tusker, Kenya), Denis Iguma (Al Ahed, Lebanon), Isaac Isinde (Unattached), Murushid Jjuuko (Simba, Tanzania), Nicholas Wadada (Vipers, Uganda)
Midfielders: Khalid Aucho (Baroka, South Africa), Mike Azira (Colorado Rapids, USA), Geoffrey Kizito (Than Quang Ninh, Vietnam), William Luwagga Kizito (Rio Ave, Portugal), Tony Mawejje (Thróttur, Iceland), Hassan Wasswa (Vipers/Nijmeh, Lebanon), Moses Oloya (Hanoi T and T, Vietnam), Godfrey Walusimbi (Gor Mahia, Kenya)
Strikers: Geoffrey Massa (Baroka, South Africa), Faruku Miya (Standard Liege, Belgium), Yunus Sentamu (Ilves, Finland), Geoffrey Sserunkuma (KCCA, Uganda), Muhammed Shaban (Onduparaka, Uganda)
Technical Staff:
Head Coach: Milutin Sredojevic (Serbia)
Assistant Coach: Moses Basena (Uganda)
Goalkeeping Coach: Fred Kajoba (Uganda)
Team Doctor: Ronald Kisolo (Uganda)
Team Physio: Ivan Ssewanyana (Uganda)