RABAT, Morocco — Uganda Cranes players boycotted a scheduled training session on Saturday after a dispute over unpaid bonuses from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 qualification campaign, briefly disrupting the team’s preparations ahead of the continental tournament.
According to details shared by Kawowo Sports, the players were promised qualification bonuses of about USD 10,000 each. However, the funds had not been paid by the time the team went into camp in Rabat, prompting dissatisfaction within the squad. The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) indicated that the government had yet to release the money.
FUFA president Moses Magogo met the players on Friday to resolve the matter, but no agreement was reached. Players later held internal meetings on Saturday and collectively decided to skip the training session as a form of protest.
The coaching staff, led by head coach Paul Put, arrived at the training ground and prepared the session, only to leave after players failed to turn up. Coach Put later confirmed that the cancellation was caused by the bonus dispute.
The incident mirrors previous pay-related standoffs involving the national team, including a similar protest during the 2019 AFCON in Egypt, highlighting a recurring challenge in Ugandan football.
Magogo intervened later on Saturday, and by Sunday, the crisis had been resolved. The team resumed training behind closed doors on December 21, with FUFA confirming that preparations had returned to normal.
As of Monday, December 22, the Uganda Cranes are continuing their build-up to the tournament, now shifting focus to on-field performance. Uganda has been drawn into a challenging Group C alongside Tunisia, Nigeria and Tanzania, and is set to open its AFCON campaign against Tunisia on Tuesday, December 23, 2025.
Bonus disputes have recently affected several African national teams, including Gabon, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Sudan, underscoring a broader issue on the continent. For Uganda, however, the immediate priority remains maintaining unity and concentration as the AFCON showdown begins.
