Uganda has today officially launched the African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024, marking a historic chapter in the country’s sports development and regional integration. The event held at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds was filled with messages of hope, unity, and national pride. Uganda is co-hosting the tournament alongside Kenya and Tanzania.
As Uganda launches its co-hosting duties for CHAN-2024, the African Nations Championship, the country steps into the global spotlight not only as a tournament host, but as a nation with a deep and dignified footballing heritage. This is more than a tournament, it is a celebration of the men and moments that built Uganda’s football from bare fields into a continental contender.
Long before today’s investment in stadiums and sports infrastructure, Uganda’s footballing dreams were nurtured by determination, raw talent, and community spirit. Icons like Masajjage, whose story still echoes in the corridors of Ugandan football history, laid the foundation with their courage and versatility. Dismissed initially as a potential striker and told he belonged in goal, Masajjage defied expectations, scoring goals when given a chance and later excelling between the posts. From 1966 to 1968, he was named Uganda’s Footballer of the Year for three consecutive years, an extraordinary feat that speaks volumes of his influence.
Uganda’s early international football adventures, particularly the 1968 African Cup of Nations in Ethiopia, showcased a generation of resilient players. Names like George Bukenya, Ibrahim Dafala, David Otti, Ben Ezaga, Stephen Baraza, Parry Oketch, John Dibya, Peter Okee, Polly Ouma, and Denis Obua formed the heart of the Cranes squad that carried the nation’s flag with pride. Though the results didn’t always favor Uganda, these players established a footballing identity built on bravery, technique, and ambition.
That same identity was carried forward in the 1974 AFCON in Cairo, where Masajjage returned to represent Uganda, symbolizing consistency and resilience. Players like Swalleh Wasswa and Francis Kulabigwo brought flair and determination to the squad. Despite limited resources and international exposure, Uganda’s players won hearts with their spirited displays. Each match became a lesson in commitment; each defeat, a call to grow stronger.
The legacy of these early players laid the groundwork for Uganda’s more recent achievements; AFCON qualifications, CECAFA triumphs, and the rise of Ugandan players into professional leagues abroad. But beneath those victories is a lineage of footballing pioneers who played barefoot, trained on dusty pitches, and inspired generations without knowing it.
Now, CHAN-2024 brings an opportunity not just to compete, but to reflect. It is a moment to honor the unsung heroes of Ugandan football, the local coaches who discovered raw talent, the community fans who filled Nakivubo Stadium with songs and hope, and the players who wore the national jersey not for contracts, but for country.
As Uganda welcomes teams like Algeria, Niger, Guinea, and South Africa, it does so as a proud footballing nation with history in its veins. The stadiums may be newer, the kits more polished, but the heartbeat of Ugandan football remains the same, courage, teamwork, and the hunger to rise.
To the past heroes, thank you. To the present players, honor the jersey. And to the future stars watching from the stands or listening on the radio—know that the road you’ll walk was cleared by giants.
This is CHAN-2024. This is Uganda. Football built this.
