We are not complete – Paul Put faces AFCON 2027 Qualifiers amid injury crisis and tight turnarounds

Uganda Cranes head coach Paul Put has admitted his side is not complete ahead of a demanding week that will see his team face Tunisia in the AFCON 2027 Qualifiers, though the Belgian remains pleased with the attitude of the players already in camp.

Put’s early preparations have been heavily disrupted by injuries, illness, and the delayed arrival of foreign-based players, leaving him with precious little time to work on his tactical framework before Thursday’s crunch fixture against Tunisia at the Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi in Rades.

Early departures and a split camp

A contingent of seven players from the Uganda Premier League and Uganda Cranes officials departed the country for Tunisia to officially kick off preparations for the September 24 qualifier.

Led directly by Paul Put, the initial travelling group includes goalkeepers David Lukwago (SC Villa) and Hannington Ssebwalunyo (NEC), alongside Gift Jonathan Odongo (Entebbe UPPC), Geofrey Lubanga Kene (SC Villa), Hillary Mukundane (Vipers), Richard Basangwa (NEC), and Frank Sebufu (SC Villa).

This domestic contingent is expected to set up camp in Tunis, where they will progressively be joined by a massive legion of foreign-based stars flying directly into Tunisia from across the globe.

The summoned overseas based squad features Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Toby Sibbick (Burton Albion, England), Rogers Torach Ochaki (CS Constantine, Algeria), Aziz Kayondo (FC Slovan Liberec, Czech Republic), Herbert Bockhorn (FC Magdeburg, Germany), Nathan Asiimwe (Salford City, England), Gavin Kizito Mugweri (Nairobi United, Kenya), Baba Alhassan (Mardin 1996 Spor, Turkey), Noble Okello (Lexington, USA), Kenneth Semakula (Al Ittihad Alexanderia, Egypt), Allan Oyirwoth (Dunfermine, Scotland), Joseph Seremba (Nairobi United, Kenya), Allan Okello (AS FAR, Morocco), James Bogere (AGF, Denmark), Travis Mutyaba (CS Sfaxien, Tunisia), Denis Omedi (Gor Mahia, Kenya), Rogers Mato (Hearts, Kenya), Hassan Mubiru (Azam, Tanzania), Sadam Masereka (Colorado Springs Switchbacks, USA), Steven Mukwala (Al Nasr, Libya), and Bobosi Byaruhanga.

Despite the fragmented setup, Put praised the response of the players currently working under him.

“We are not complete, but I’m very satisfied because it’s always, if you are with fewer players, it’s always more difficult for the players physically. But they did it very well. I’m very, very happy about their performance and training, but also performance and discipline outside the field,” Put said.

Defensive headaches and forced adjustments

The defensive department has taken the heaviest hit. Put is forced to completely rethink his backline options following a wave of setbacks.

Elio is currently nursing an injury, though Put noted he has recently returned to the bench for his club in the last two games, while Obita remains firmly sidelined. Compounding matters further, experienced German-based full-back Herbert Bockhorn, who plays in the 2nd Bundesliga and was earmarked to anchor the group’s experience, was forced to miss out entirely after falling sick.

“First of all, you know we are not complete. We have the absence of Elio, who is injured. Okay, now back to the last two games on the bench. Then we have Obita, who is injured. So these in the defence are the key players; we have to be honest. And then Herbert was called, who plays in the second Bundesliga, who I talked to with Green. I said he is experienced in the group, but he is sick, so he didn’t come,” Put explained.

These absences mean defensive changes are completely unavoidable. However, the coach emphasised that the most crucial adjustment must take place in the minds of his players.

“That means in the defence we have a lot of changes. But what I can say about the changes like that, it’s also in the head. We have to adapt; we don’t have time. We have to adapt.”

A brutal turnaround and monumental fixtures

The Cranes will not enjoy the luxury of recovery time following their assignment in North Africa. They must immediately return home to prepare for another massive qualifier against Libya, slated for September 29 at the newly minted Hoima City Stadium.

This upcoming clash against Libya holds notable significance, marking the Cranes’ very first international fixture at Hoima City Stadium, one of the state-of-the-art facilities selected for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which Uganda is proudly co-hosting alongside Kenya and Tanzania.

Mindful of the grueling physical demands and the compressed calendar, Put stressed the need for sheer mental fortitude and collective sacrifice.

“Normally, it’s 48 hours to recover, so we don’t have this time to recover. So I told the players also, with the national team, their duties; they know we need the motivation, the efforts. It’s not like in other teams,” he said. “But we don’t have the time to prepare very well, so we have to make the easy effort throughout the game. They understand. They are willing to do so.”

Looking beyond the qualifiers

Once the dust settles on the immediate qualification fixtures, Uganda’s schedule remains relentless. The Cranes will quickly shift their attention to South Africa, where they are lined up for a pair of high-profile international friendlies against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Johannesburg. The first friendly is scheduled for October 2, followed by the second encounter three days later on October 5.

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