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Mudoola confident after picking three African champions
Captain Ivan Magomu (L) and coach Fred Mudoola during the unveiling of the final squad on Sunday. PHOTO/DON MUGABI
What you need to know:
The bulk of the side 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.
Rugby Cranes 15s coach Fred Mudoola is ‘very confident’ that the team he has picked for the Africa Cup will deliver Uganda’s second title on home soil.
Mudoola, an African champion in 2007, read out the 28 players he has chosen for the tournament that runs from July 20 to 29 at Namboole and Wankulukuku Stadiums.
The bulk of the side 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 those is France-based Philip Wokorach who is expected to join the team on Sunday. The other two are the Stanbic Black Pirates pair of Alex Aturinda and Timothy Kisiga.
“I am very confident because we have put in the work, along with the coaching team. Then, we had that trip to South Africa, Mudoola said by the lakeside in Jinja. “There is also the fact that we are hosting. We will pull it off.”
Mercurial Fly-half Ivan Magomu (Pirates) retains the captaincy. Pirates’ scrumhalf Conrad Wanyama and Kobs flanker Byron Oketayot are his assistants.
The tournament will serve as the first stage of the 2027 men’s Rugby World Cup qualifiers for the African region. It will be played following a straight knockout format from the quarterfinal stage.
Uganda face Zimbabwe at Namboole next Saturday. There is a potential semifinal 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, Asuman Mugerwa, Eliphaz Emong, Julius Opio, Charles Uhuru, Robert Aziku, Brian Wandera, Sydney Gongodyo, Moses Zziwa, Alex Aturinda, Mark Omoding, Wilfred Pool Kalungi, Joseph Aredo, Thomas Gwotko, Jones Kamiza, Shakim Sembusi, Joseph Oyet, Arnold Ocen, Philip Wokorach, Conrad Wanyama, Byron Oketayot, Ivan Magomu
