Uganda Cranes to Play Two International Friendlies Ahead of AFCON 2027 Qualifiers The Uganda national football team, known as the Cranes, will participate in two international friendly matches during the June 2026 FIFA international window as part of their preparations for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) PAMOJA 2027. The matches, scheduled for June 5 and June 8, will take place in Marrakech, Morocco, with regional rivals Tanzania and Madagascar as opponents. These fixtures aim to provide the technical team with opportunities to evaluate players, enhance squad depth, and foster competitiveness ahead of the AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign and future continental and FIFA competitions. The friendly matches fall under the FIFA international window, which permits national teams to gather both foreign-based and locally-based players for official preparatory matches. While specific details such as kick-off times and exact venues for the games have not yet been disclosed, further information is expected to be released closer to the event dates. The matches are part of a broader strategy to ensure the Cranes are well-prepared for the challenges of the upcoming qualifiers and the high-stakes environment of the AFCON 2027 tournament. Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) conducted the draw for the AFCON 2027 qualifiers on May 19 in Cairo, Egypt. Uganda was placed in Group H, alongside Tunisia, Libya, and Botswana, with the qualifying campaign set to commence in September 2026. Despite automatically qualifying for the tournament as one of the co-hosts, Uganda will still compete in the qualification process to secure a favorable position in the group stage.#marrakech #madagascar #uganda_cranes #tanzania #totalenergies_caf_afcon_pamoya_2027
Uganda Cranes to Play Two Friendlies in June 2026 The Uganda national football team, the Cranes, will resume international competition in June 2026 with two friendly matches against neighboring nations Tanzania and Madagascar. The confirmation of these fixtures was announced by the Football Union of Uganda (FUFA) on Wednesday, marking the team’s return to global action after a nearly six-month hiatus. The matches, scheduled during the June 2026 FIFA International Window, will take place in Marrakech, Morocco. The Cranes are set to face Tanzania on June 5 and Madagascar three days later on June 8. These games will serve as part of the team’s preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where Uganda is a co-host alongside Kenya and Tanzania. The team’s last international appearance was in December 2025, when they participated in the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The draw for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers was conducted on Tuesday, and Uganda was placed in Group H, which includes Libya, Botswana, and Tunisia. The friendly matches in Morocco will provide the Cranes with an opportunity to test their strategies ahead of the qualifiers. The fixtures also highlight the team’s focus on refining their approach for the tournament, which will be held in 2027. The group stage of the qualifiers will determine which teams advance to the final stages of the competition. Uganda’s participation in the 2027 AFCON as a co-host underscores the country’s role in the tournament. The team will compete in the qualifiers, with the draw placing them in a challenging group. The friendly matches against Tanzania and Madagascar will help the squad build experience and adapt to competitive conditions ahead of the qualifiers.#morocco #uganda_cranes #football_union_of_uganda #tanzania #madagascar
