Duro Ikhazuagbe

Ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Head Coach of Uganda’s Cranes, Paul Put, has insisted that his team will not be intimidated playing in the same group stage as Nigeria, Tunisia and Tanzania.

Speaking with CAFonline.comyesterday, Belgian Paul Put who is a familiar face on African football having coached Gambia, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Guinea and Congo in the past, said: “We will respect all of them, (Nigeria, Tunisia and Tanzania) but we are not going to be intimidated. We will give a good account of ourselves.”

Paul Put’s boldness must have been inspired by what happed during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers when Nigeria’s Super Eagles huff and puff in the group that had the likes of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Benin Republic and South Africa. Three miserable points from Nigeria’s first four opening matches ensured that the Super Eagles missed the direct qualification ticket to the World Cup and only on the last day picked one of the four best runners up tickets to the playoffs.

The Cranes Coach however admitted that Super Eagles and the two other teams in the group will prove tough customers because of the quality of players in their teams.

“Nigeria: They are a perennial powerhouse. There are threats everywhere from their squad with top talent and European experience;

Tunisia: They are highly organized, technical, tactically astute. They are hard to break down but we will see.

Tanzania: For our neighbours Tanzania they are a good mix of energy and familiarity — regional derbies are never easy.

“We will respect all of them, but we are not intimidated,” observed the gaffer.

Like Burkina Faso, the Cranes narrowly missed the 2026 World Cup playoffs ticket to Nigeria on the last Match-day 10 of the qualifiers.

Coach Put however appears Wants  to make up with the AFCON 2025 by qualifying from the group to the knockout rounds.

“I promise Ugandan fans they will see a Cranes side that plays with heart, unity, and pride. We will fight for every ball, respect the jersey, and leave everything on the field. We may face stronger opponents, but we won’t back down. Our aim is to represent Uganda with dignity, passion and purpose,” assured the coach.

He assured Ugandans that his team’s preparations are well on course.

“We have played two World Cup qualifiers in October and have also used it also as preparation and this will be followed by two friendlies in November. 

“In early December, we’ll stage a closed camp in Kampala, including an open session for fans, before flying to Rabat. Once there, we’ll play more internationals and final tune-ups before meeting Tunisia on December 23,” concludes the coach who is aiming to make history with Uganda.

The Cranes have qualified for the AFCON tournament just eight times in their history, and their most memorable run came in 1978 when they reached the final.

Under Paul Put’s leadership, Uganda aim to combine discipline, tactical balance and mental resolve to make a mark in the 2025 edition in North Africa.