Khalid Aucho: Uganda Cranes deputy captain 'mourns' Micho's sacking

Following FUFA's sacking of Uganda Cranes head coach Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevic, several enthusiasts, including players, have come out and paid their tributes.

Cranes assistant skipper Khalid Aucho has penned an emotional farewell to his gaffer, describing his impact as 'fatherly.'

"You have been a mentor, father, and great friend to me. Thanks for the memories, especially the journey we went through together. Wishing you the best of luck, coach," said Aucho on his social media platforms.

Under Micho, Aucho was appointed as Uganda Cranes' assistant captain in the reshuffles made following Dennis Onyango's retirement in 2021.

During Micho's reign, the Young Africans SC star was recalled to the national team setup after being phased out due to his open political affiliations.

Meanwhile, Micho, who was in his second spell as the Cranes' coach, still had a year left on his contract after signing for three years in July 2021.

The tactician's sacking on Thursday came after Uganda Cranes failed to qualify for the Cote D'Ivoire 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Despite finishing the qualification campaign with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Niger a week ago, the Cranes only managed to finish third in their group, with Tanzania as runners-up and Algeria as the leaders advancing to the finals.

Uganda Cranes' next engagements will be in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, beginning in November this year.

Uganda is placed in Group G alongside Algeria, Guinea, Mozambique, Botswana, and Somalia.