Veteran Goalkeeper Denis Onyango Discloses Reason Behind Return to Uganda Cranes Fold

Veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango has opened up about his return to the Uganda Cranes fold following a four-year hiatus.

Onyango had announced his international retirement in 2021 after Uganda’s failure to seal a place in that year’s Africa Cup of Nations but made a sensational return to the national team for this month’s World Cup qualifiers against Mozambique and Somalia.

The 40-year-old was named in coach Paul Put’s 28-man squad for the two matches in what was a surprise move and the Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper has given an insight into what convinced him to return to the national team setup.

“The best thing for a footballer is to always play for the national team,” Onyango said in an interview with Telecomasia.net.

Onyango says his role as one of the goalkeeper trainers for Uganda during the 2024 African Nations Championships impressed national team selectors who sought to have him in the team to continue passing on the knowledge to his younger colleagues.

“CHAN has played a huge part in me rejoining the Uganda Cranes because I started off as a goalkeeper trainer and now the coach has called me to help the goalkeepers in the senior side for the World Cup qualifiers,” added Onyango, who captained the Cranes at the 2017 and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

“The love you get from the people, your teammates and everyone is what has made me want to give back to my country.”

Onyango made it to the squad as Uganda thrashed Mozambique 4-0 on Friday although he was an unused substitute with Salim Magoola, who also plays in South Africa with Richards Bay, preferred in goal and he will hope to be involved when the Cranes take on Somalia on Monday.