Uganda has named its squad for the next round of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, bringing back a familiar face in goal.
Coach Paul Put announced a 28-man roster on Wednesday that includes Denis Onyango, the longtime national team captain who retired from international duty three years ago. Onyango, who plays for South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns, last featured for Uganda in 2021 after the country failed to reach the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The 40-year-old remains one of Uganda’s most decorated players. He helped the Cranes qualify for back-to-back AFCON tournaments in 2017 and 2019, ending a nearly four-decade drought. In 2016, he was named African Player of the Year (African-based) after winning the CAF Champions League with Sundowns. Two years later, he was voted Best African Goalkeeper at the CAF Awards.
Uganda, which has never appeared at a World Cup, faces Mozambique on Sept. 5 and Somalia on Sept. 8. Both matches will be played at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala. The Cranes currently sit fourth in Group G with nine points, trailing leaders Algeria (15 points), Mozambique, and Botswana.
Alongside Onyango, another goalkeeper is making a return: Salim Jamal Omar Magoola, who has been out of the squad since 2023. Forward Joseph Mpande, who plays in Vietnam, and Ikpeazu Uchechukwu have also been recalled after previously missing out on national team duties.
The squad includes 11 players from Uganda’s recent run at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), among them Reagan Mpande and Herbert Achayi, who will be making their senior team debuts.
One notable absence is team captain Khalid Aucho. The midfielder, who recently joined Tanzania’s Singida Black Stars after leaving Young Africans SC, was not included in the roster.
Uganda’s call-up list reflects a mix of old hands and fresh talent, as the Cranes try once again to push toward their first-ever World Cup appearance.
Full Uganda Cranes squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers:
