Uganda's national team's preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations were seriously disrupted at the weekend after players refused to attend a scheduled training session in Rabat, Morocco, over unpaid bonuses.
Tensions are rising around the team, even before the competition debut. Uganda will start today, from 22:00, against Tunisia.
Ugandan players have not received their bonuses
Uganda's preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations have been disrupted after players refused to train in Morocco over an unresolved bonus dispute.
Before the official weekend training, head coach Paul Put and his staff had arrived early at the Stade Olympique Annex, preparing the equipment for the training session scheduled for 16:00 local time. However, the session was abruptly canceled before it began, with the team packing up and returning to the hotel without performing any drills.
Information emerging from the training camp indicates that the boycott was a direct result of the players' dissatisfaction over delayed payments for successfully qualifying for the tournament, according to panafricafootball.com.
Players were promised bonuses of up to $10,000 eachthe final amount depending on their involvement in the qualification campaign.
The Uganda Football Federation (FUFA) has reportedly informed the squad that the funds are pending release by the government. However, the situation escalated over the weekend, with players holding several internal meetings and collectively deciding to skip training as a form of protest.
Baba Alhassan, the number 12 player / photo: Facebook Uganda Cranes
Speaking briefly as he left the stadium, coach Paul Put confirmed that the session had been called off at the instruction of the players.
“The team is back at the hotel,” Paul Put said, confirming that the problem was with the players, according to the aforementioned source.
The tournament runs from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026. Uganda's full schedule:
-
Tunisia – Uganda, December 23, 22:00
-
Uganda – Tanzania, December 27, 19:00
-
Uganda v Nigeria, December 30, 18:00
This is not the first time Ugandan players have boycotted
The incident brings back memories of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, where a similar dispute over bonuses led the national team to boycott two training sessions ahead of their round of 16 match against Senegal. Uganda eventually lost that match 1–0, being eliminated from the competition.
