Uganda have become one of the first teams to arrive in Morocco ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, touching down in Casablanca on Monday to begin an intensive 11-day preparation programme.
The early arrival underscores head coach Paul Put’s determination to give the Cranes their best possible chance in what is expected to be one of the most demanding campaigns in the nation’s AFCON history.
Uganda, who named their provisional 30-man squad on Sunday, will train in Morocco and play two friendly matches before the tournament begins on 21 December.
The federation has not yet announced the opponents for the warm-up fixtures, but the emphasis is on fine-tuning physical conditioning, tactical organisation and squad cohesion after a competitive qualifying phase.
The Cranes are returning to the continental stage for the first time since 2019, and their assignment in Morocco places them in a challenging group alongside Nigeria, Tunisia and Tanzania.
Put has described the tournament as an opportunity for Uganda to measure themselves against some of Africa’s most established sides, with the Cranes arriving as underdogs but determined to cause problems for more fancied opponents.
Their last meeting with Morocco ended in a 4–0 defeat in Tangier in November 2024, but the match was a friendly, and Put insists that preparations for AFCON offer a fresh context.
Uganda enter the competition with quiet confidence following a series of encouraging performances, including a draw away to South Africa during the qualifiers and strong performance in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying group, where they finished second with six wins from ten matches.
Put and his players now shift focus to their Moroccan training base, where they aim to lay the foundations for a competitive campaign.
Meanwhile, defending champions Cote d’Ivoire coach Emerse Faé has named his 26-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, with Wilfried Zaha making a surprise return and Simon Adingra missing out of the squad.
The announcement was made on Tuesday afternoon as the defending champions confirmed the squad they will take to Morocco.
