AFCON 2025: Put and Omedi find positives as Uganda hold AS FAR

Uganda Cranes head coach Paul Put drew optimism from his side’s fighting spirit and competitive edge following a 2-2 draw with Moroccan heavyweights AS FAR Rabat in an international friendly played on Saturday, 13 December 2025, at the Maamora Stadium in Rabat.

The encounter was Uganda’s penultimate build-up match ahead of the TotalEnergies AFCON 2025, set to kick off on 21 December in Morocco, and came at the end of an intensive training camp in Casablanca as the Cranes prepare for Group C clashes against Tunisia, Nigeria and Tanzania.

Put treated the fixture as a key measuring stick against elite opposition and handed teenage forward James Bogere his first start. The FIFA Under-17 World Cup graduate showed impressive composure, linking up fluently with Travis Mutyaba and Bobosi Byaruhanga while stretching the AS FAR backline with intelligent movement.

Bogere was unlucky not to open his senior account, seeing one effort saved and another drift narrowly wide during a bright first-half display that underlined Uganda’s positive approach.

That early momentum paid off in the 18th minute when Denis Omedi calmly broke the deadlock to put the Cranes ahead. AS FAR hit back on the stroke of halftime through Reda Slim, ensuring the contest remained finely poised at the break.

Uganda restored their advantage midway through the second half when Ivan Ahimbisibwe found the net in the 68th minute, but a late strike from Haddraf Fatah denied the visitors victory as the hosts salvaged a draw. Although the match was not FIFA-licensed, CAF clearance ensured it still served as a crucial benchmark for the technical team.

AFCON Prep Boost: Put Hails Cranes’ Courage and Mentality in 2-2 AS FAR Draw

After the game, Put singled out the team’s attitude while acknowledging aspects that still require polishing before AFCON.

“We played with courage and mentality. There were positives from the first half as we created chances,” Put said. “Bogere played well; he is still learning, but he is creating chances. Bobosi and Mutyaba were determined. I was not happy with our ball management in the second half, but we will improve.”

The Belgian coach also underlined the importance of collective attacking contribution rather than focusing on individual scorers.

“It does not matter who scores. What matters is that we are creating many chances, and that is very positive. If we improve our finishing, we can take another step forward,” he added.

Goal scorer Denis Omedi echoed his coach’s assessment, stressing the value of testing themselves against top-level opposition ahead of the continental showpiece.

“We needed this game against a CAF Champions League team,” Omedi said. “We played well and took our chances. I am happy for Ivan’s goal because it boosts every striker’s confidence. We will fight against Gabon as we continue preparing for AFCON.”

The Cranes will conclude their pre-tournament friendlies against Gabon on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, as Put fine-tunes his squad in the final push towards AFCON 2025.