Rugby Cranes 15s coach Fred Mudoola is “very confident” the side he has selected for the Africa Cup of Nations will deliver Uganda’s second title on home soil.
Mudoola, the 2007 African champions, has named the 28 players he has selected for the tournament to be held from July 20 to 29 at the Namboole and Wankulukuku stadiums.
Most of the squad attended a 10-day training camp in South Africa, but there is room for three players who helped Uganda win the Africa Men’s Sevens this month in Mauritius.
Among them is France’s Philip Wokorach who is expected to join the team on Sunday. The other two are Stanbic Black Pirates pair Alex Aturinda and Timothy Kisiga.
“I’m very confident because we’ve put in the work, along with the coaching staff. Then we had that trip to South Africa, Mudoola said by the lake in Jinja. “There is also the fact that we host. We’ll get it out.”
Mercurial fly-half Ivan Magomu (Pirates) retains the captaincy. Pirates scrumhalf Konrad Wanyama and Byron Oketayot are his assistants.
The tournament will serve as the first stage of the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup qualifiers for the Africa region. It will be played following a knockout format from the quarter-final stage.
Uganda face Zimbabwe in Namboole next Saturday. There is a possible semi-final against Namibia a few days later if the nine-time African champions beat Burkina Faso as expected.
Rugby Cranes team
Nathan Bwamble, Faraji Odugo, Jude Jjuko, Santos Ssenteza, Mike Otto, Saul Kivumbi, Asumna Mugerwa, Locks: Elifaz Emong, Julius Opio, Charles Uhuru, Robert Aziku, Brian Wandera, Sydney Gongodyo, Moses Zziwa, O Alex Atding Wilfred Pool Kalungi , Joseph Aredo, Thomas Gwotko, Jones Kamiza, Shakim Sembusi, Joseph Oyet, Arnold Ocen, Philip Wokorach, Conrad Wanyama, Byron Oketayot, Ivan Magomu