Peter Okee: Most outstanding Uganda Cranes coach ever

The spotlight on the Uganda Cranes has probably never been more laser-guided as it is this time.

With Uganda hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, the level of expectation in the team has never been greater. In fact, for The Cranes’ Belgian coach, Paul Put, the pressure to ensure that he presents a formidable side that pales in comparison with the team he led to the 2025 Afcon last December, probably cannot be put into words.

Perhaps it is the same amount of pressure one of Put’s predecessors, Peter Okee felt before leading The Cranes to the 1978 Afcon final in Ghana. Yet, at the end of the day, it was all worth it, seeing how it turned out for the team, because almost 50 years later, Okee is Uganda Cranes greatest ever coach.

Of course, until someone beats that feat, or even matches it, Okee will definitely remain in that position unchallenged. But, to be honest, Okee did more than just guide Uganda to its greatest football moment.

Before the 1978 Afcon, the likes of Samson Yiga, Robert Kiberu, Westhoff Otto and David Otti handled The Cranes at Afcon but all registered poor results. None won a game at that level. All these came after German tactician, Burkhard Pape, whom some sections consider The Cranes’ finest.

Pape was in charge of the national team in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a period in which a host of the talent, including Jimmy Kirunda and Dennis Obua, both deceased, among others, all came through. Pape played a key role in coaching them.

Yet Okee managed to get them playing their best ever football. Okee had the perfect amount of respect, discipline, understanding and control. He understood the absolute fundamentals of the game to the most intricate and turned them into big plans.

Okee knew all there was to know about bringing a group together, and how to get the desired goals through them. Not only was he a father figure, Okee knew the strengths and weaknesses of each individual.

That is why, beyond the Afcon silver medal that The Cranes managed, he also led the team to two Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup trophies.

WHO IS OKEE?

Okee was born in Gulu on March 3, 1930 and played for Prisons FC from 1965 to 1968 as a full back.

He later coached Prisons, which is Maroons FC today from 1969 to 1984. He was the first man to win the Uganda Premier League.

That will go down in history. In 1986, Okee handled Nile FC, before moving to Kenya’s Mumias Sugar FC, which he coached between 1988 and 1996. Okee also played for The Cranes at the 1968 Afcon in Ethiopia, before injury forced him into coaching in 1969.

BECOMING UGANDA CRANES COACH

After some years with Maroons FC, Okee was named Uganda Cranes coach in April 1976 with Jaberi Bidandi Ssali as Team manager. The two men assembled a mixed team of youth and senior players who had survived from the previous squads.

Incidentally, Okee prioritized youth players for his squad. That is why players like Phillip Omondi, Moses Nsereko, Mike Kiganda, Abbey Nasur, Tom Lwanga, Timothy Ayiekho and Paul Ssali became key members of his squad.

During Okee’s reign, no player was bigger than the team, that’s why he dropped the likes of dependable star players like Denis Obua and Ahmed Doka from his team.

His first major assignment was the Cecafa Cup in November 1976 in Zanzibar, where Uganda Cranes defeated the Zambians to win their first title in three years. The following year, Uganda Cranes defended the Cecafa Cup in Somalia defeating Zambia in a penalty shoot-out.

At the time, Uganda Cranes looked unplayable as they beat Ethiopia 2-1 on aggregate to book a ticket to the 1978 Afcon in Ghana. By the time Uganda travelled to Ghana, they were a pretty competitive team, expected to do better than they had at the previous four events.

Yet, going by the other teams in Ghana, The Cranes seemed outsiders in comparison to other nations like Nigeria, Tunisia, Ghana, Morocco, Zambia, and Congo Brazzaville. But this did not bother Okee.

He remained focused on the job. Okee’s team of predominantly youth: Omondi, Kirunda, Nsereko, Kiganda, Kisitu and Lwanga were unplayable, as they upstaged giants Morocco and Nigeria. In 1982, he flew to Germany for a one-year refresher coaching course and returned in 1983, continuing as the national team coach.

However, when Uganda got eliminated from the 1984 Afcon and 1986 World Cup qualifiers, Okee lost his job before the end of 1984. Meanwhile, despite Okee’s impressive time as The Cranes coach, a few other Cranes coaches deserve mention for the indelible mark they left on the team during their time in charge.

BURKHARD PAPE

His contribution to Ugandan football is significant. He was Cranes coach for 70 matches. Of these, Uganda won 41, drew 16 and lost 13. Pape also guided Uganda to the 1968 and 1969 Cecafa titles, and also inspired the team to qualify for the 1974 Afcon.

POLLY OUMA

Ouma was one of the finest Ugandan footballers ever. He was a lethal striker for Simba and the Uganda Cranes. He retired from football in 1979 and turned to coaching in Kenya. He returned to Uganda in 1986 and started handling SC Villa.

He guided the Villa Park side to the 1986 league and cup doubles before helping the team win the 1987 Cecafa Cup, their first. In 1989, Ouma became a Uganda Cranes tactician.

He guided the team to the 1989 Cecafa Cup (the first in 12 years), and also helped the same team recapture the 1990 and 1992 Cecafa Cup titles.

DAVID OTTI

A solid midfielder cum defender, Otti played for Bitumastic FC and Coffee FC in the 1960s and he became Coffee coach in the 1970s.

The Germany-trained tactician guided the Uganda Cranes to the 1973 Cecafa Cup title before becoming Uganda Cranes team manager during the 1974 Afcon in Egypt.

In 1975, he returned as Uganda national team coach, guiding the team to the 1976 Afcon before being dropped by Fufa in April 1976. He remained club coach for Simba and later handled clubs like SC Villa, Gor Mahia, Military Police, KCCA FC, and a host of clubs in Somalia.

MILUTIN SREDOJEVIC `MICHO’

The Serbian tactician first came to Uganda in 2002 as SC Villa coach, helping the Jogoos to the 2002 league and cup double, plus the 2003 Cecafa cup and league titles.

He left the country in 2004 and returned to Uganda in 2013 to handle the Uganda Cranes. During his five-year tenure in Uganda, he guided the Uganda Cranes to the 2017 Afcon in Gabon.

It was the first time Uganda was qualifying for the Afcon in four decades. Micho also guided The Cranes to Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup success in 2015. Cranes also qualified for the Chan tournament in 2014, 2016 and 2023 under his guidance.

SEBASTIEN DESABRE

The French coach is the only other Uganda Cranes coach, after Okee, that has won a game at the Afcon. At the 2019 tournament in Egypt, Desabre guided Uganda to a 2-0 win over the DR Congo.

In fact, most recently, Desabre has been at the 2026 World Cup with DR Congo. His magic just saw the Central African team qualify for its first World Cup since 1974. Could that have been Uganda had he stayed longer?

BOBBY WILLIAMSON

The Scottish tactician guided The Cranes to its first Chan tournament in 2011. But besides that, Williamson inspired Uganda to great success within the East African region. He guided The Cranes to the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup glory in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012.

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