Uganda's Onyango hopes to be like El Hadary

CAIRO – 20 June 2019: Mamelodi Sundowns veteran goalkeeper, Denis Onyango, hoped to achieve Essam El Hadary's performance in the next 2019 AFCON.

The tournament will start on Friday night at Cairo stadium, it takes place with the participation of 24 teams in six groups for the first time in the history of the African competition.

Onyango leads the squad that will appear in the tournament for the seventh time in the history.

The team prepared for the competition in the UAE where they played two friendly games against Turkmenistan and Ivory Coast.

Uganda’s best achievement at the tournament came in 1978 when they finished second after losing the final to Ghana.

Desabre’s chosen squad for the tournament consists of:

Goalkeepers: Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Jamal Salim (Al Hilal-Sudan), Robert Odongkara (Adama City, Ethiopia)

Defenders: Nico Wakiro Wadada (Azam, Tanzania), Brian Ronald Ddungu Mukiibi (Ostersunds, Sweden), Murushid Jjuuko (Simba, Tanzania), Bevis Mugabi (Yeovil Town, England), Isaac Muleme (FK Viktoria Zizkov, Czech Republic), Hassan Wasswa Mawanda (Un attached), Joseph Ochaya (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Timothy Denis Awanyi (KCCA FC, Uganda), Godfrey Walusimbi (Un-attached)

Midfielders: Mike Azira (Montreal Impact, Canada), Allan Kateregga (Maritzburg, South Africa), William Kizito Luwagga (Shakhter Karagandy, Kazakhstan), Khalid Aucho (Church Hill Brothers, India), Faruku Miya (HNK Gorica, Croatia), Abdul Lumala (Syrianska, Sweden), Tadeo Lwanga (Vipers SC-Uganda)

Strikers: Patrick Henry Kaddu (KCCA FC, Uganda), Derrick Nsibambi (Smouha, Egypt), Allan Kyambadde (KCCA FC Uganda), Emmanuel Arnold Okwi (Simba, Tanzania)

Uganda plays in Group A alongside Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe.