Youngster Allan Okello has made the cut. Courtesy photo.
Five players who play in the StarTimes UPL have made the Uganda Cranes provisional squad for AFCON Qualifiers against Burkina Faso and Malawi.
New coach Jonathan Mckinstry will seek to get off to a perfect start in his first competitive game when the Cranes face Burkina Faso at Stade du Auot in Ouagadougou on November 13 before facing Malawi in the next four days.
Vipers’ defender Halid Lwaliwa and forward Fahad Bayo who is the leading UPL topscorer with seven goals have made the cut alongside KCCA trio Charles Lukwago, Allan Okello and Nicholas Kasozi.
Allan Kayiwa and Kirizestom Ntambi who were the only UPL players that made Mckinstry’s squad against Ethiopia, have been overlooked with the Northern Irishman claiming that the duo still have more opportunities in the future.
“I assessed the local players and what I had to consider is their level of skills set they possess ahead of the foreign based and the gaps in the team,” Mckinstry briefly explained after naming his squad in a briefing at Mengo.
Salim Jamal, Allan Kateregga and Derrick Nsibambi are some of the players who featured in the 2019 AFCON in Egypt that have been ignored.
Goalkeepers:
Dennis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Robert Odongkara (Horoya AC, Guinea), Charles Lukwago (KCCA, Uganda)
Defenders:
Ronald Mukiibi (Ostersunds FK, Sweden), Nico Wakiro Wadada (Azam, Tanzania), Bevis Mugabi (Motherwell, Scotland), Murushid Jjuuko (Wydad Casablanca, Morocco), Timothy Denis Awany (Sport Club Ironi Ashdod, Israel), Hassan Wasswa Mawanda (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia), Halid Lwaliwa (Vipers, Uganda), Isaac Muleme (Viktoria Zizkov, Czech Republic), Joseph Ochaya (TP Mazembe, Democratic Republic of Congo)
Midfielders:
Michael Azira (Chicago Fire, USA), Khalid Aucho (Misr Lel Makasa, Egypt), Tadeo Lwanga (Tanta, Egypt), Nicholas Kasozi (KCCA, Uganda), Allan Okello (KCCA, Uganda), Allan Kyambadde (El Gouna, Egypt)
Forwards:
Emmanuel Arnold Okwi (Ittihad Alexandria, Egypt), Patrick Henry Kaddu (RS Berkane, Morocco), Alexis Bbakka (Carlstad United BK, Sweden), Fahad Bayo (Vipers, Uganda), Farouk Miya (Konyaspor, Turkey), Abdu Lumala (Pyramids, Egypt), William Kizito Luwagga (Shakhter Karaganda, Kazahstan)
