Ace Football presents a detailed list of the best players to have played for the Cranes.
Uganda would not make most people’s list of the African football powerhouses. However, the Eastern African nation has enjoyed a consistent flow of football talents, forming a rich football culture throughout several generations.
Let’s take a look at our picks for the best Cranes XI of all time.
Goalkeeper and Defenders
Goalkeeper: Paul Ssali
The legendary Ugandan keeper established his reputation for being an excellent penalty saver during the 70s. His incredible saves helped the Cranes in their best-ever AFCON performance in 1978, where they finished as runner-ups.
Playing for Simba and KCC, he won a total of six domestic titles at the club level. Ssali kicked started his legendary international career during the 1976 CECAFA Cup. The ‘Gogolimbo’ replaced George Mukasa, who broke his finger in the competition’s opening game. A brilliant performance during the tournament secured Ssali’s place between Cranes’ posts for several years to come.
Left Back: Ashe Mukasa
Mukasa’s perfect blend of quick runs and physicality provided Uganda with excellent defensive stability during their brilliant AFCON run in 1978.
The Lungujja-born left-back broke into Uganda’s first-tier league in 1972, joining Express FC. He went on to win two league titles in five seasons at the Kampala club while claiming a spot in the Cranes squad.
In addition to the silver-medal-winning campaign of 1978, Mukasa represented Uganda in 1974 and 1976 AFCONs.
Centre Back: James Kirunda
Understanding how Franz Beckenbauer registered so many goals for Germany as a centre-back is challenging for those who are not into old football tactics and forgotten defensive roles.
Uganda great James Kirunda has a very similar profile to the Bayern Munich legend, blending exceptional defensive work-rate with top-level ball carrying and attacking abilities.
Kirunda captained Uganda in three of the five AFCON tournaments where he represented the Cranes. He was a cornerstone of the team that won the competition’s silver medal in 1978, failing to add the trophy to his five Ugandan league titles and two domestic Cups.
Centre Back: Tom Lwanga
Playing as Kirunda’s partner at the heart of Uganda’s defence, Lwanga lacked his teammate’s attacking traits. However, his incredible defensive qualities made him a crucial player for the Cranes in the late 70s.
The versatile centre-back represented Uganda in their 1976 and 1978 AFCON campaigns. At the club level, he managed to win three league titles at KCC, where he spent a glorious ten-year spell. The Ugandan side also reached two CAF Champions League quarter-finals in 1978 and 1982.
Right Back: John Latigo
A quick and technically gifted defender, Latigo had the ability to play in several different positions during his prime. Having started his career as a right-winger, he developed into a top-class right back at KCC.
He won five Ugandan Cups and three league titles at the club while becoming Uganda’s captain during the 80s. The highlight of Latigo’s career came in the 1978 CECAFA Championship, where his performance helped KCC win the title.
Midfielders
Defensive Midfielder: Moses Nsereko
Another KCC legend, Nsereko, joined the club as a ball boy and left as a legend. He was most famous for his incredible passing abilities and modern free-flowing football.
Nsereko’s nickname of Kisolo kya manyi (Strong animal) comes from his mixture of great mentality and physical presence. He helped the Kasasiro Boys win five league titles and three Uganda Cups while representing the Cranes in two AFCON tournaments.
Attacking Midfielder: Mike Kiganda
The ‘Computer’ was a unique attacking midfielder with exceptional game-reading abilities. His performances were crucial for Uganda’s quick counter-attack tactics during their golden days of the late 70s.
Kiganda won the Ugandan league with Express in 1975, before winning the domestic Cup with Nsambya three years later. At the international level, the technically-gifted midfielder won two CECAFA titles with Uganda while featuring in the 1976 and 1978 AFCONs.
Attacking Midfielder: Jackson Mayanja
One of the greatest Ugandan players of all time, Mayanja was a prolific midfielder with an eye for scoring goals. His passing abilities convinced the Uganda coaches to keep him in midfield, where he developed into one of the continent’s finest talents of his era.
Mayanja won two league titles and two Uganda Cup titles with KCC while being a pillar of the Cranes’ midfield for many years. The two-time USPA Footballer of the Year helped Uganda in winning three CECAFA titles during his legendary international career.
Forwards
Left Winger: Denis Obua
One of the finest wingers in Uganda’s football history, Obua had all the ingredients that make up an exceptional winger.
During the dictatorship of Idi Amin, Obua was put in jail by the officials. However, public outcry from football fans resulted in his release from prison. He then rejoined the national team without proper training and managed to score in their 5-2 thrashing of Somalia in the 1972 AFCON.
Obua played for the Cranes between 1968 and 1977, representing Uganda in three AFCON tournaments. He then went on to serve as the president of Uganda’s football federation.
Right Winger: Stanley Mubiru
The ‘Tank’ was most famous for his incredible physicality and fast pace, enabling him to move between the opposition’s lines down both flanks.
His ability to send inch-perfect crosses made him an invaluable star at Express FC, where he won back-to-back league titles in 1974 and 1975. Mubiru was also an integral part of the Cranes squad that won the CECAFA title in 1973.
Striker: Phillip Omondi
Widely regarded as Uganda’s greatest-ever player, Omondi was exceptional in both creating and scoring goals. His wonderful ball-controlling and shooting abilities enabled him to play both as a target striker and a number 10.
Ghana great Abedi Pele has admitted he drew inspiration from Omondi’s unique playing style. The Former KCC star won the CECAFA club championship in 1978 before scoring four goals in Uganda’s AFCON campaign later that year.
The Cranes lost 2-0 against hosts Ghana in the final. However, Omondi’s impressive performances earned him a move to the United Arab Emirates, where he played for Sharjah FC.
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