Uganda Cranes Coach Paul Put Explains What Frustrates Him Ahead of AFCON 2025

Uganda Cranes head coach Paul Put has voiced his frustration over late player release dates, stating the situation has severely disrupted his team's preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Cranes are currently in a pre-tournament camp in Casablanca, Morocco, but Put has been forced to work with a skeleton crew of just 15 players for the majority of the training period.

Speaking from Casablanca, the Belgian coach explained that a recent FIFA communication stipulated that Europe-based players would only be released on December 16 and 17. This late arrival leaves a very narrow window before Uganda's opening match against Tunisia in Rabat on December 23.

"Normally, we have two weeks before the tournament starts to prepare our players," Put stated as per Daily Monitor. "But now, suddenly, a few days ago, we received a message from FIFA that we can only have players from abroad on the 16th or 17th of December. I think all coaches are not happy with this situation."

The timing of the player releases has forced a complete overhaul of the coach's technical programme. Uganda had scheduled two crucial warm-up matches in Morocco, one against local club FAR Rabat and another against fellow AFCON finalists Gabon. However, Put revealed that the second friendly will be compromised due to the absence of key players.

"In the last period, we normally had two friendly games, and that gave me an opportunity to change some things in the team," he explained. "Now I cannot because I will not have all the players for this second game. With all these changes, it’s really very difficult to make a good preparation."

Put emphasised that his original strategy involved extensive tactical sessions and team-building exercises—a rare opportunity for national squads that typically assemble just days before major tournaments.

"All plans that I’ve been making—how to prepare the team, the mental preparation, briefing players on our improvements—that’s far away now," he lamented. "We have only 15 players until the 17th. There’s not much we can do, but we have to deal with it."

Despite the significant setback, Put remains determined to make the best of the situation as the Cranes prepare for their first AFCON appearance since 2019. Uganda is drawn in a challenging Group C alongside Tunisia, Tanzania, and Nigeria.

The team aims to surpass its 2019 performance, where they were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Senegal. Put, who famously led Burkina Faso to the 2013 AFCON final, acknowledged that other nations are likely facing similar logistical hurdles.

"We will do what the boys can do," he said. "We’ll see how we can manage and prepare ourselves in the best way."

For now, the Cranes will continue their training in Casablanca with the available squad, anxiously awaiting the arrival of their Europe-based stars, including Rogers Mato, just days before the continental showpiece begins.