Here Is What You Need To Know About Cranes Players Ready For FIFA Qualifiers’ Battle

By Spy Uganda

Kampala: Uganda Cranes embarked on early preparations prior to the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar qualifiers against Kenya (away) and Mali (home) on the 2nd and 6th September 2021 respectively.

Thirty players entered camp on Saturday, 14th August 2021 at Cranes Paradise Hotel in Kisaasi as the preparations kicked off in high gear at Lugogo, Kabira Country club playground, African Bible University – Lubowa with Gym sessions.

Below Is Who Is Who In The Camp;

Joel Mutakubwa (Express): Goalkeeper currently at Express Football Club. He represented Uganda at the 2021 CHAN championships in Cameroon. He recently won the Cecafa Kagame Cup with Express in Dar es salaam, Tanzania. He has previously played at Busoga United and Kyetume Football Clubs.

Charles Lukwago: Goalkeeper currently employed by KCCA Football Club. Like Mutakubwa, he played at the 2021 CHAN championships in Cameroon. He was also part of the 2019 Cecafa senior challenge cup Uganda Cranes winning team. He also played at Proline and Lweza. Lukwago was born on 24th November 1994.

Simon Tamale: He is a goalkeeper playing for Soltilo Bright Stars Football Club in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League. This is his second summon to the Uganda Cranes team. He was born on 13th May 1993.

Nafian Alionzi: Goalkeeper at Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Football Club. He was part of the Uganda Cranes team at the 2021 CHAN championships in Cameroon. He was born on 2nd March 1996.

Murushid Juuko: Defender at Express Football Club in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League. He has earned 39 caps and one of the vastly experienced players on the team having also played at two Total AFCON tournaments in 2017 (Gabon) and lately Egypt in 2019. Juuko was born on 14th April 1994. He has played SC Victoria University, Red Cross, Simba, Wydad Casablanca and lately Express where he won the 2021 Cecafa Kagame Cup as well as the StarTimes Uganda Premier League.

Enock Walusimbi: Defender at the reigning StarTimes Uganda Premier League champions, Express F.C. He was born on 12th November 1998. Besides the league crown, he also won the 2021 Cecafa Kagame Cup.

Arthur Kiggundu: The flying left back earned his first ever summon to the Uganda Cranes. He was instrumental as Express won the 2021 StarTimes Uganda Premier League and Cecafa Kagame Cup in the same season. Kiggundu was born on 14th April 1995.

Denis Iguma: Very experienced utility player who is currently employed by KCCA Football Club. He has earned 63 caps with one goal. He was part of the Uganda Cranes team at the 2017 Total AFCON tournament in Gabon. He has also played at Entebbe Young, Kampala Kids League (KKL), Red Cross, Sports Club Victoria University (SCVU), Sports Club Villa, Al Ahed (Lebanon) and lately KCCA.

Innocent Wafula: Roving right back with a great first touch on the ball and explicit crossing abilities. Featured at Mbarara City last season and has of late transfered to KCCA Football Club. In the previous season, he played at Vipers Sports Club having switched from Kenyan giants Gor Mahia. He is eyeing his first cap. Wafula was born 1st April 1998.

Paul Willa: Right back at Vipers Sports Club. He has been part of the Uganda Cranes for the previous three years. He formerly played at Police and KCCA. He was born on 4th September 1999.

Eric Ssenjobe: Left back at Police Football Club. He has previously played at KCCA FC. Senjobe was born on 4th April 1996.

Abdul Azizi Kayondo: He is a left back at Vipers Sports Club. He clinched silver at the 2021 Afcon U-20 championships in Mauritania. He. was born 6th October 2002.

Halid Lwaliwa: He is a central defender and captain at Vipers Sports Club. Quite experienced having played several games for club and country. He was born on 19th August 1998.

Garvin Kizito Mugweri: He is a central defender at Sports Club Villa. He captained the Uganda U-20 team (Hippos) at the AFCON U-20 championship in Mauritania where finished as runners up to Ghana. He was born on 14th January 2002.

Kenneth Ssemakula: Another U-20 defender who was part of the Hippos team at 2021 Afcon championships in Mauritania. He recently transfered to Sports Club Villa from Jinja based BUL. Ssemakula was born on 4th November 2002.

Hassan Muhamod: A center half at Police Football Club. He was a member of the Uganda Cranes team at the 2021 TOTAL CHAN championships in Cameroon. Muhamod was born on 2nd February 1996.

Muzamiru Mutyaba: Creative midfielder playing at the current StarTimes Uganda Premier League and Cecafa Kagame Cup champions, Express Football Club. He has several caps with the Uganda Cranes and claimed the 2021 Cecafa senior challenge cup in Kampala. Mutyaba has previously played at Mawogola (Masaza Cup), Maroons, Sports Club Victoria University (SCVU) and KCCA. He was born on 10th October 1993.

Ibrahim Orit: He is a midfielder who ochstrates his duties on the flanks. Currently employed by Vipers Sports Club after previous spells at Mbarara City (3 seasons) and home based side Soroti Tigers. He has two goals in 7 internal games played this far. Orbit was born on 28th July 1998.

Milton Karisa: Currently stationed at Vipers Sports Club. Karisa operates on the far side areas of the playing field, like clubmate Orit. He has previously played at BUL and in Morocco. Karisa was born on 27th July 1995

Bobosi Byaruhanga: He features at Vipers Sports Club. He was part of the Uganda Hippos’ team at the AFCON U-20 championship in Mauritania clinching silver. He also emerged out of the Vipers Junior team ranks and St Mary’s SSS, Kitende. Byaruhanga was born on 3rd December 2001.

Shafik Kuchi Kagimu: Kagimu is the team captain at Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Football Club. He won the 2019 Cecafa senior challenge cup in Kampala and also featured at the 2021 CHAN championships in Cameroon. He was born on 28th November 1998.

Nicholas Kasozi: He is a holding midfielder at Kyetume Football Club. Kasozi previously played at Masaka based Synergy and KCCA.

Abubakar Gift Ali: Born on 13th. May 1993, Gift Ali hails from the football rich hub of West Nile region in Aruba City. He is a player at KCCA in the. StarTimes Uganda Premier League.

Yunus Junior Sentamu: The center forward is employed by Vipers Sports Club in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League. He was top scorer in the league for the 2020-2021 season with 16 goals. He has also played at AS Vita (DRC), CS Sfaxien (Tunisia), FC Tirana (Finland) and Ilves (Albania).For the national team, he has 13 caps. He was born on 13th August 1994.

Martin Kizza: He is a player at Express Football Club. Like the other five players from Express on the team, Kizza also won the 2020-2021 StarTimes Uganda Premier League.

Emmanuel Arnold Okwi: He is captain of the Uganda Cranes, born on Christmas Day way back in 1992. He is a tried, tested and proven team leader. Okwi is currently unattached to any club after his employment contract expired in Egypt at Al Ittihad Alexanderia. He has previously played at Uganda’s most successful club, SC Villa, Simba, Young Africans (Tanzania) and had a spell in Denmark at Sonderjyske. He has 82 caps.

Patrick Henry Kaddu: The center forward is currently playing at RS Berkane in Morocco. Kaddu featured at the 2021 Total AFCON tournament in Egypt and scored a glancing header against Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). His other clubs include Maroons and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Football Club.

Jude Ssemugabi: He is a rookie on the team currently employed by Mbarara City Football club in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League. Ssemugabi is lanky and athletic and eagerly awaits his first cap. He was born on 3rd March 1997.

Richard Basangwa: Basangwa is a powerful center forward who prefers to operate from the flanks. He features for Vipers Sports Club in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League. He was part of the Hippos team that won silver at the 2021 AFCON U-20 championship in Mauritania. Like Kayondo and Byaruhanga, Basangwa is a product of St Mary’s SSS Kitende team that won the 2019 Copa Coca Cola championship in Jinja.

Steven Dese Mukwala: He is a striker at Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Football Club. Mukwala has previously played at Vipers Sports Club having risen through the ranks at Edgars Youth Academy. Vipers loaned him to Maroons at the advent of the 2019-20 season and he emerged as top scorer in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League that season. He was born 15th July 1999.