The Ugandan contingent has safely arrived on Saturday afternoon in Gabon ahead of their opening fixture against Ghana on Tuesday in Port Gentil.
FUFA advance team of 2nd Vice President Darius Mugoye and Depurty CEO Humphrey Mandu were at Port Gentil Airport with Local organising Committee team to receive the team.
A 35 man contingent has been accommodated at Hotel Du Parc located along the shores of Atlantic Ocean.
The contingent including a group of fans and media all boarded a dometsic flight from Libreville to Port Gentil.
The journey started with a retrun from Dubai, a stop over where they spent the night in Ethioipa before flying out direct to Libreville on Saturday morning.
A local dance troupe as part of the warm reception to the guests also entertained the Contingent as they arrived at the team hotel.
Uganda Cranes coach Milutin Sredojevic will hold his team’s first training session at Stade Sogara, 7pm (local time in Gabon) 9 pm EAST. It is a five minute drive from Hotel Du Parc while reaching the main stadium takes about 25 minutes.
Players speak out on arrival in Gabon
Team captain Geoffrey Massa
‘We know why we are here. We are on the same table with big boys of African football and we know they are planning for us but we are ready for the battle come next week’
Dennis Onyango-Uganda Cranes goalkeeper/ Glo CAF player of the year based in Africa
‘We are set for the training sessions before playing our first match. All players are raring to go. We are praying day by day for the best results’ said the 1st assistant captain of the Cranes
Tony Mawejje- 2nd Assistant captain of Uganda Cranes
‘We dreamt about this opportunity. We are not here to participate but play competitive football’
Mike Azira-Colorado Rapids star player, playing in midfield for Cranes
‘The boys have already created competition in the team. We are happy to be here. we shall offer our best to the country to make our fans happy’
Faruku Miya-scorer of the goal when Uganda Cranes beat Comoros 1-0mto qualify for the AFCON 2017 finals
‘We worked as a team. That goal wasn’t about me alone but the entire team that put in alot to deliver and make every Ugandan happy. We shall not change from our basics of team work’
LOD: FUFA President Eng. Moses Magogo
Hamid Juma-Chairman Technical Committee
Rogers Byamukama-LOD with team in UAE
Head coach: Sredojevic Milutin
Assistant Coach: Basena Moses
Goal keeper coach: Kajoba Fred
Team Physician: Dr. Kisolo Ronald
Team Physiotherapist: Ssewanyana Ivan
Communictions: Ahmed Hussein
Kits man: Lugolobi Saidi
Goalkeepers: Salim Jamal (Al Merrikh, Sudan), Robert Odongkara (Saint George, Ethiopia), Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa)
Defenders: Timothy Dennis Awany (KCCA, Uganda), Joseph Ochaya (KCCA), Shafiq Batambuze (Tusker, Kenya), Denis Iguma (Al Ahed, Lebanon), Isaac Isinde (Unattached), Murushid Juuko (Simba, Tanzania), Nicholas Wadada (Vipers, Uganda)
Midfielders: Khalid Aucho (Baroka, South Africa), Mike Azira (Colorado Rapids, USA), Geoffrey Kizito (Than Quang Ninh, Vietnam), William Luwagga Kizito (Rio Ave, Portugal), Tony Mawejje (Thotur, Iceland), Hassan Wasswa (Nijmeh, Lebanon), Moses Oloya (Hanoi T and T, Vietnam), Godfrey Walusimbi (Gor Mahia, Kenya)
Strikers: Geoffrey Massa (Baroka, South Africa), Faruku Miya (Standard Liege, Belgium), Yunus Sentamu (Ilves, Finland), Geoffrey Sserunkuma (KCCA, Uganda), Muhammed Shaban (Onduparaka, Uganda)
