Uganda Cranes Arrive in South Africa Ahead of DR Congo Friendlies

The Uganda Cranes have safely arrived in South Africa ahead of two international friendly matches against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) as part of their preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

Uganda will face DR Congo on October 2 and October 5, 2026, in a double-header that will provide head coach Paul Put and his technical team an opportunity to assess the squad ahead of the next phase of AFCON 2027 qualification.

The Cranes contingent, led by FUFA Executive Committee Member Ronald Barente as Leader of Delegation, is accommodated at Hotel Sky in Sandton, Johannesburg, where the team has settled in as preparations for the two encounters continue.

The friendlies come at an important stage of Uganda's preparations, with the Cranes set to return to competitive action during the November FIFA international window.

During that window, Uganda will play back-to-back AFCON 2027 qualifier matches against Botswana, making the South Africa camp an opportunity for the technical team to evaluate players, test combinations and build match readiness.

Changes to Cranes squad

Several changes have been made to the squad that featured in Uganda's recent international assignments against Tunisia and Libya.

Captain Denis Onyango, Rogers Mato, Abdu Aziizi Kayondo, Nathan Asiimwe and Noble Okello have missed the trip following a decision by the technical team.

Meanwhile, Toto Majub Brian and Sadam Masereka, who were called up for the recent matches against Tunisia and Libya but did not feature in those games, have been added to the travelling squad for the DR Congo friendlies.

The changes have also opened an opportunity for other players to stake their claim as the technical team continues to assess the available options ahead of the November qualifiers.

Cranes squad in South Africa 

The squad comprises four goalkeepers, 13 defenders, eight midfielders and eight forwards.

Goalkeepers: Hannington Ssebwalunyo, David Lukwago, Kingdom Osayi and Akpan Udoh.

Defenders: Rogers Torach, Kenneth Semakula, Diaby Souleymane, Toby Sibbick, Hilary Mukundane, Herbert Achayi, Geofrey Lubanga Kene, Gavin Kizito Mugweri and Jonathan Odongo.

Midfielders: Baba Alhassan, Joseph Seremba, Gaucho Debohi Dieudonne, Sadam Masereka, Allan Okello, Allan Oyirwoth, Travis Mutyaba and Abdoulaye Sissako.

Forwards: Steven Mukwala, Kelvin Boateng, Denis Omedi, James Bogere, Toto Majub Brian, Richard Basangwa, Frank Ssebufu and Arnold Vula.

Focus shifts to AFCON qualification

The two matches against DR Congo will form part of Uganda's wider preparations for the 2027 AFCON qualification campaign.

With the November international window set to bring two competitive fixtures against Botswana, the technical team will be keen to use the South Africa camp to continue shaping the squad and identifying the combinations that can be relied upon when the qualifiers resume.

The Cranes have in recent months been balancing competitive international matches with preparations aimed at building a squad capable of competing on the continental stage.

The DR Congo double-header therefore offers another opportunity for players in the current squad to impress and strengthen their claims for places in the team ahead of the crucial November assignments.

The first encounter against DR Congo is scheduled for October 2, with the second match to follow on October 5.

With the team already settled in Sandton, attention now turns to preparations on the training ground before the Cranes take on their Central African opponents in the first of the two friendly matches.