Africa-Press – Uganda. Local football body, Fufa, are expected to announce a new permanent Uganda Cranes coach in the coming days following the conclusion of the Fifa international break.
It was a poor outing for the national team, under the interim charge of coach Morley Byekwaso, where the Cranes lost to Mali and Zambia by a combined 4-0 score.
In all fairness, not much was expected of Byekwaso and his team as their job was just to oversee the team for the two said friendlies after just a few days with the players. Their one-month contract formally ends on October 31.
Blunt attack, generous back
After losing by a Yassine Sinayoko penalty in the Malian capital Bamako last Friday, the Cranes suffered a 3-0 humbling to Zambia in Dubai on Tuesday, Patson Daka grabbing a brace and Fashion Sakala scoring the other goal.
Now as the Cranes returned home and players dispersed to their respective clubs, the question will be ‘ what next’ as the fifa 2026 World Cup qualifiers are fast approaching.
Uganda open their 2026 World Cup qualifiers away to Guinea and Somalia on November 13 and 20 respectively, just a month away.
By then, Micho Sredojevic’s replacement must have long been in charge.
Potential candidates
After Fufa and the Serb – now Libya national team coach – severed ties last month, the federation opened applications for the job and 245 people reportedly applied, with only two of those Ugandans.
No Ugandan coach has publicly confirmed they applied, while a two-time interim Cranes coach, Abdallah Mubiru, told that he did not apply.
“I never applied for any position because I believe that coaches are selected based on the employers’ demands,” Mubiru said last week.
“I feel every one at Fufa knows my ability – my strengths and weaknesses.”
Sam Ssimbwa and Mike Mutebi are some of the most experienced Ugandan coaches that come to mind but it is not clear whether they tendered in their applications or not.
Romanian-Hungarian Laszlo Csaba, Uganda Cranes coach between 2006 and 2008, is one of several foreign nationals strongly linked to the job, and this newspaper can confirm he applied for it.
If he is successful, it would be another return of a former Cranes coach after Micho – who helped Uganda end a 39-year Afcon jinx some six years ago – retook the reins in 2021.
Uganda results on international break
Zambia 3-0 Uganda
Mali 1-0 Uganda
Uganda 2026 WC qualifiers
Nov. 13, 2023
Guinea vs Uganda
Nov. 20, 2023
Somalia vs Uganda
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