Forward Emmanuel Arnold Okwi has officially announced his retirement from international football.
The player took to his social media pages to confirm the decision.
“Having cherished all those memories, I believe it is time for me to bow out and pave the way for our talented young football players,” Okwi said.
“I will always hold close to my heart the love shown to me by all the fans, and my special thanks go to my family, Coach Bobby Williamson, all the successive coaches thereafter, and the leadership at FUFA.”
Okwi, 32, has played for Uganda 95 times since making his debut in 2009 under Coach Bobby Williamson.
He has scored 28 goals in his 16-year period on the national team.
Of his 28 goals for the Uganda Cranes, 22 have come in competitive games—the most by any Ugandan footballer.
He featured in two AFCON finals: 2017 in Gabon and 2019 in Egypt. In the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, he scored two goals, one against DR Congo and the other against Zimbabwe.
In the aftermath of Denis Onyango’s retirement in 2021, Okwi was named captain of the Uganda Cranes. He last featured for the national team in 2023 during the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
His other notable achievements on the national team include finishing as the second-top scorer at the 2010 CECAFA Cup, scoring four goals in five matches. He was also the joint top scorer at the 2011 CECAFA Cup, scoring five goals.
Currently plying his trade at Kiyovu SC, Okwi has played for several clubs, including SC Villa, Simba SC, Young Africans, Étoile du Sahel, SønderjyskE, Al-Ittihad, Al-Zawra’a, and Erbil SC.
