Uganda Cranes reignited their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Guinea, thanks to Allan Okello’s sensational free kick in the 34th minute.
The win, which came after a disappointing 3-1 loss to Mozambique, marked a significant turnaround for Paul Put’s side.
Speaking in the post-match press conference, the Uganda Cranes head coach expressed his pride in the team’s performance and addressed key tactical decisions.
Although the stadium was not at full capacity, Put insisted that those who missed the match had lost out on witnessing an impressive display.
“The stadium was not full, but the ones who didn’t attend the game they’ve been losing a lot today. We saw a very good team today, fighting, but also very good football, and we had to finish the game.”
Uganda showed attacking intent from the first half, creating several chances through strong combination play. Put commended his players for their determination and execution against a formidable Guinea side.
Reflecting on the previous loss, Put defended his team’s performance in Mozambique, highlighting the difficulties they faced after going down to ten men early in the match.
“I think we didn’t perform that badly in Mozambique [game], because of the consequences of the goals that we took. It was difficult. After 36 minutes, we came with 10 men.”
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Uganda still managed to compete. Put pointed to key statistics, 47% possession and three chances created against Mozambique’s three to emphasize that the performance was not as poor as the result suggested.
He also noted the challenges of traveling to Egypt for the matches, combined with Ramadan’s impact on player conditioning.
“Players don’t eat. They have to rest. So, all the programming is different. But thank God, they have been performing very well. They’ve been working very hard, very disciplined. I’m very happy for them.”
Put made four changes to his starting lineup, with Nafian Alionzi replacing Ismail Watenga in goal, while Ronald Ssekiganda, Travis Mutyaba, and Rogers Mato were brought in to inject energy into the squad.
The coach defended his decision to drop Watenga, explaining that the goalkeeper was struggling mentally after previous mistakes.
“He has been playing good games for the national team as well. So, I cannot blame him. He has been making mistakes. It cost us points, of course. But then you have to observe the player mentally. And he was really down, down, down.”
Put praised Alionzi’s performance, stating that he had played a solid game and justified the selection change.
When asked about Steven Mukwala, Put stated that while the striker hadn’t performed well for the national team, unlike the club, his selections were based on training performance.
“Have you been seeing him playing well with the national team?” Put asked
“You have been seeing him playing well sometimes, I know with the national team, but I judge on training.”
Regarding Travis Mutyaba, Put acknowledged the young midfielder’s talent but highlighted his lack of regular playing time at Bordeaux as a concern.
“Now, with Travis, he has a problem in Bordeaux. He doesn’t make minutes. Even in the last game before he came for the invitation, he had to play with the second team.”
Despite this, Mutyaba was deployed on the flank against Guinea, a decision Put attributed to his familiarity with the opposition.
“So, I made the choice today to play him on the side because I can say I know Guinea quite well. I’ve been working there. So, I thought with this action, he could make a difference of being important in our game.”
However, Paul Put concluded by emphasizing the importance of team effort and discipline moving forward. He reiterated that all players had a role to play in the squad’s success.
“We have to go forward. And everybody is important in this group, in this team.”
With the victory over Guinea providing a much-needed boost, Uganda Cranes will look to build on this as they continue their World Cup qualification journey.
