Uganda Cranes Head Coach Paul Put believes the team was pitted in a tough group following the Draw for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) that was conducted on Wednesday in Nairobi, Kenya.

Uganda was placed in Group C alongside Niger, Guinea, Q2 and Q1. The two mysterious opponents will be derived from the second qualification phase that will have six teams competing.

These include Algeria, Egypt, South Africa, Comoros, Gabon and The Gambia who will face off at yet to be confirmed dates.

“We don’t know which other countries we will be facing for Q1 and Q2 but it is a fine group. So we may end up having teams like South Africa, Algeria or Egypt,” he started before adding, “It is a tough group but when you want to play the final stages of CHAN then you must face big teams. So we have to focus on ourselves and prepare well. We are one of the hosts, we have the support of our fans. It will not be easy but the players must use this opportunity to change their lives.”

The first realistic target for Uganda will be to progress beyond the group stage, a thing that the team has failed to do in the previous six attempts.

The tournament will be played in August having been postponed from February 2025 when it was supposed to get underway.

The other groups include Group B that has Tanzania, Madagascar, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic.

Group D has defending Champions Senegal, Congo, Sudan and Nigeria.

Full Draw

Group A
Kenya
Morocco
Angola
DR Congo
Zambia

Group B
Tanzania
Madagascar
Mauritania
Burkina Faso
Central African Republic

Group C
Uganda
Niger
Guinea
Q2
Q1

Group D
Senegal
Congo
Sudan
Nigeria

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