Paul Put Breaks Silence After Uganda Cranes’ Disappointing AFCON 2025 Campaign

Uganda Cranes head coach Paul Joseph Put has pointed to a lack of maturity and experience as the primary reasons for the team's disappointing performance at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Cranes finished at the bottom of Group C, securing only a single point from their three matches. Their campaign included 3-1 losses to both Tunisia and Nigeria, with their only point coming from a 1-1 draw against Tanzania.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday following the defeat to Nigeria, Paul Put acknowledged that his squad was not at the required level for the tournament.

"You could see the difference in quality, the difference in the individual players," he stated as quoted by Kawowo Sports. "We also had a young team with only a few players who had participated at AFCON before, so we were lacking in maturity and experience."

Of the entire squad, only Denis Onyango, Khalid Aucho, Isaac Muleme, and Salim Omar Jamal had prior experience playing in the continental showpiece.

Despite the early exit, Coach Paul Put believes the lessons learned in Morocco will be invaluable as the team prepares for the 2027 AFCON, which Uganda will co-host with Kenya and Tanzania.

"The focus should now turn to the 2027 AFCON, which we will host," Paul Put remarked. "We have definitely learned some lessons here, and these players will not be the same going forward."

The 2025 tournament highlighted the significant challenge ahead for Paul Put, as the Uganda Cranes appeared vulnerable in both defence and attack throughout their three games. The qualification campaign for the 2027 AFCON is scheduled to begin in March of next year.