Uganda coach Milutin “Micho” Sredojovic has named the final 23-man squad to fly the country’s flag and carry East Africa’s hopes in Gabon.
This was revealed moments after “the Cranes” lost 2-0 to Tunisia in a friendly played at El Menzah Olympic Stadium, Tunis Wednesday 4th.
The team has no major surprises with Tusker FC’s full back Shafik Batambuze and Onduparaka’s forward Muhammed Shaban – the fairly new faces making the cut.
KCCA duo of goalkeeper Benjamin Ochan and midfielder Muzamiru Mutyaba, as well as Proline’s Edrisa Lubega have been left behind.
Baroka FC’s (South Africa) Geoffrey Massa will have the honour of captaining the side, as they return to the table of men in 39 years. He will lead the goal hunt together with Standard Liege’s Faruku Miya, Yunus Sentamu (Ilves, Finland) and Geoffrey Sserunkuma (KCCA, Uganda).
Gor Mahia’s Godfrey Walusimbi will be other Kenyan Premier League player gracing the 31st edition of AFCON. He is in the midfield alongside former teammate Khalid Aucho (Baroka FC, South Africa), veteran Tony Mawejje (Thotur, Iceland), Luwagga Kizito (Rio Ave, Portugal among others.
Defender Isaac Isinde has been drafted in the squad despite being unattached. He previously turned out for Ethiopian giants St. George FC.
Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango who is currently in Abuja, Nigeria for the CAF Awards will contend with Salim Jamal (Al Merrikh, Sudan), Robert Odongkara (St. George, Ethiopia) in the department.
Uganda will shift camp to Dubai, where they will play two more warm-ups versus Ivory Coast January 8th and Slovakia January 11th, before they kick-start their group “B” fixtures against Ghana’s Black Stars at Stade de Port-Gentil, Port Gentil January 17.
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The Final 23:
1 – Robert Odongkara (Saint George, Ethiopia), 2 – Joseph Ochaya (KCCA), 3 – Geoffrey Kizito (Than Quang Ninh, Vietnam), 4 – Murushid Juuko (Simba, Tanzania), 5 – Isaac Isinde, 6 – Tony Mawejje (Thotur, Iceland), 7 – Sentamu Junior Yunus (Ilves, Finnland), 8 – Khalid Aucho (Baroka, South Africa), 9 -Geofrey Sserunkuma (KCCA, Uganda), 10 – Luwagga William Kizito (Rio Ave, Portugal), 11– Geoffrey Massa (Baroka, South Africa), 12 – Denis Iguma (Al Ahed, Lebanon), 13 – Moses Oloya (Hanoi T and T, Vietnam), 14 – Nico Wadada Wakiro (Vipers, Uganda), 15 – Godfrey Walusimbi (Gor Mahia, Kenya), 16 – Hassan Mawanda Wasswa (Nijmeh, Lebabon),17 – Faruku Miya (Standard Liege, Belgium), 18 – Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), 19 – Magoola Salim Omar (El Merriekh, Sudan), 20 – Awany Timothy Dennis (KCCA, Uganda), 21– Muhammad Shaban (Onduparaka, Uganda), 22 – Batambuze Shafik (Tusker, Kenya), 23 – Azira Michael (Colorado Rapids, USA)
