Uganda strengthens national football team through heritage programme

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) is implementing a heritage programme to strengthen the Uganda national football team by identifying eligible players with Ugandan roots. As part of this initiative, consultants identified 20 professional players from a pool of over 200 candidates worldwide.

Nine of these identified players have already joined the Uganda Cranes squad in Kampala ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Libya and a friendly against DR Congo. Notable additions include Nigerian-born goalkeepers Akpan Udoh and Kingdom Osayi. Udoh, a former FIFA U-17 World Cup winner with Nigeria, is eligible through his grandparent.

Additionally, Austria Wien forward Kelvin Owusu Boateng has been identified through the programme. Born in Ghana and a product of the Right to Dream Academy, Boateng qualifies to represent Uganda through his grandparent, offering the national team further European-based experience.