Afcon2025: Cranes’ strike over allowances, skip training

Uganda Cranes players skipped a scheduled training session on Saturday in an unexpected sit-down strike ahead of their kick-off against giants Tunisia in the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. 

According to Kawowo Sports, the team’s coaching staff headed by Paul Put were at the training venue, Stade Olympique Annex and arranged training gear on the pitch awaiting for the team bus to arrive.

However, they would later pack their bags and head back to the team hotel as the players were nowhere to be seen. 

“The coaching staff went ahead to arrange the training gear on pitch but a few minutes later, they shockingly withdrew everything, packed their bags, moved back to the waiting car and headed back to the team hotel,” Kawowo reported. 

While coach Put did not make any official statement, reliable sources have intimated that a section of the national team players have led a strike over unpaid allowances from the Afcon qualifiers stage and related bonuses. 

The players reportedly held discussions with Fufa President Moses Magogo and pressed for their due payments which they have not received in over a year. Efforts are said to be underway to resolve the impasse and restore harmony in the Cranes camp. 

The Uganda Cranes were the first team to arrive in Morocco with the hope of settling in, acclimatizing to the weather and getting better prepared at least two weeks before kick off. 

Uganda will kick off their campaign against Tunisia,  December 23 in Rabat. 

The Cranes were pooled in a difficult group that also features giants Nigeria and perennial rivals and East Africa neighbours Tanzania. The Uganda Cranes have featured at the Africa Cup of Nations on seven occasions (1962, 1968, 1974, 1976, 1978, 2017 and 2019).