The Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) has announced the appointment of Belgian football tactician, Paul Put, as the new head coach of the Uganda Cranes. Put has signed a two-year contract and his immediate task is to lead the Cranes in the upcoming 2026 World Cup Qualifiers against Guinea and Somalia this month.
The unveiling ceremony took place at FUFA House in Mengo, where federation president Moses Magogo expressed confidence in their choice, stating, “FUFA rolled out an application process and we got over 150 coaches including two Ugandans who applied for the job. After a thorough analysis, the FUFA Executive zeroed down on Paul Put. We believe in our choice as the federation, and we are ready to back him.”
He praised Put’s coaching profile, emphasizing that he is a coach with the experience and capabilities needed to guide the senior national team effectively.
Magogo also disclosed that they have granted the coach the authority to select his own backroom staff, and he is bringing along five additional individuals from Belgium.
“Nonetheless, there will be Ugandans who will be included as part of the backroom staff,” he affirmed.
Paul Put, a 67-year-old Belgian, began his coaching career in Belgium with K.F.C. Verbroedering Geel. He subsequently managed other Belgian clubs, including Lokeren, Lierse, and Mouscron between 2004 and 2007.
In Africa, he first served as the head coach of the Gambian national team from 2008 to 2011 before being appointed as the manager of Burkina Faso in March 2012. His tenure with Burkina Faso culminated in a successful run at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, where he led the team to a second-place finish, narrowly losing to Nigeria.
Put later assumed the role of manager for Algerian club USM Alger in October 2016 on a two-year contract. However, he swiftly transitioned to become the head coach of the Kenyan national team before ultimately resigning in 2018.
In March 2018, Put was named the manager of the Guinea national team. Unfortunately, his stint with Guinea came to an end in July 2019.
Over the course of his career, Paul Put has also taken charge of Bangladeshi top-flight club Saif SC and the national team of Congo.
