Sports

CHAN 2024: Uganda Cranes set sights on maiden title

Thursday 31st July, 2025 11:21 AM| By Joel Masibo

As co-hosts of the 2024 TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN), Uganda enters the tournament as the most successful nation from the CECAFA region with an impressive 40 CECAFA Cup titles to their name.

Staging the showpiece alongside Kenya and Tanzania, Uganda Cranes will be hoping to add the TotalEnergies CHAN title to their trophy cabinet for the first time in the tournament’s history.

The East African side will be seeking to finally break past the group stage barrier that has haunted them in all six of their previous appearances. The side has been a regular in the CHAN tournament since 2011. Despite their consistency, success beyond the preliminary rounds has eluded them.

Uganda’s seventh appearance at CHAN comes with added weight as the team, alongside neighbours Kenya and Tanzania, will also use CHAN 2024 as a key litmus test in their road to co-hosting the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2027.

Entry and preparation

Although Uganda secured an automatic slot as co-hosts, they didn’t rest on that advantage. The Cranes engaged in friendly qualifiers against Burundi, edging them out with a 2-0 aggregate win, a strategic move aimed at fine-tuning the squad ahead of the continental challenge.

Uganda Cranes hold the record as the most successful team in the CECAFA region. PHOTO/FUFA/FACEBOOK/https://www.facebook.com/100064372465291/posts/pfbid027jhkSzN8EBL2rum1gNAw9KJBMgqqMjMYrHM1tY5YjiKZv2gQj32nkCKBPJUustf6l/?app=fbl — Uganda Cranes hold the record as the most successful side in the CECAFA region. PHOTO/FACEBOOK/https://www.facebook.com/100064372465291/posts/pfbid027jhkSzN8EBL2rum1gNAw9KJBMgqqMjMYrHM1tY5YjiKZv2gQj32nkCKBPJUustf6l/?app=fbl

All eyes will be on Vipers SC midfielder Allan Okello, whose creative brilliance is expected to drive Uganda’s attack.

Okello has re-established himself as a top performer in the Uganda Premier League and will be crucial to the Cranes’ aspirations.

Guiding the team is the experienced pairing of Morley Byekwaso and Fred Muhumuza. Byekwaso, a former Cranes midfielder, boasts a strong track record in youth development, most notably steering Uganda to the final of the 2021 U20 AFCON.

Muhumuza, meanwhile, is a tactician with deep roots in local football, offering a steady hand and deep tactical insight. Together, they form a balanced and strategic coaching setup.

Holding a decorated record in the CECAFA region with 40 regional titles, Uganda is no stranger to silverware. What remains is translating that regional dominance to the continental level with CHAN 2024 on the horizon.