Uganda FA extends coach Paul Put's contract as 2025 TotalEnergies AFCON looms
Uganda have moved to end speculation over the future of Paul Put by extending the head coach’s contract to 2028, a vote of confidence that comes just one month before the Cranes head into the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) confirmed the renewal in Kampala, framing the decision as a commitment to stability and continuity ahead of a pivotal two-year cycle that includes AFCON 2027 on home soil.
FUFA said Put’s brief extends beyond the senior side to the CHAN team and the U23s, with the Belgian to continue leading strategy and player selection across the men’s pathway.
FUFA Chief Executive Officer Edgar Watson acknowledged recent uncertainty and used the announcement to calm nerves.
He said: “We have noticed a lot of anxiety in some sectors of the public recently. Rumours and speculations concerning the Head Coach of the Uganda Cranes.
"I am here and delighted to announce to you that FUFA has agreed with Coach Paul Put to a new contract as the Head Coach of the Uganda Cranes for the next two and a half years starting with immediate effect.”
Watson underlined the time horizon, noting it spans the tournament Uganda will co-host. “The duration covers the period under which Uganda will host the AFCON 2027 under the PAMOJA arrangement,” he said, adding that Put “remains Head Coach of the senior team the CHAN team and also the under 23 boys team” and will steer selection and overall technical direction.
First Vice President Justus Mugisha said the extension reflects performance and alignment with FUFA’s technical master plan.
“This is in line with the profound vision of building number one both on and off the field and also from the work done by our coach in the recent past where we nearly qualified for the World Cup and where our National Team performed very well in CHAN for the very first time we reached the quarter finals.”
He added that the Executive Committee found this renewal straightforward. “We are confident at FUFA that you will take us to the real top as far as African football is concerned and maybe you never know even the next World Cup.”
Put, who took charge in 2023, said the decision reinforces the federation’s trust as Uganda target a strong AFCON and a deep run when the country co-hosts in 2027.
“For the extension of the contract I can say that I am very happy and I am proud because when I signed for the first time the President asked me to build a strong team for 2027.”
He said support from within the camp helped shape his choice. “You cannot imagine how many messages I received from my players who asked me to continue with Uganda and I always felt very good in Uganda. I felt respected by the Federation by players and also by fans.”
Looking ahead, Put stressed unity and incremental progress. “I want to continue in the next two years to come out with results with good football and like we have been doing from the beginning creating the family more strong.”
With the AFCON window looming and two high-value friendlies in the diary, Uganda’s message is clear: continuity on the touchline, clarity of purpose, and a push to convert recent promise—CHAN quarter-finals and a near miss in World Cup qualifying—into major-tournament impact.