Despite the Uganda Cranes not qualifying for the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) not naming any match officials (referees and assistant referees) from Uganda, the nation still has some representatives at the continental showpiece. The prestigious tournament kicked off on January 13 in Ivory Coast.
As part of the CAF delegation playing different key roles in Ivory Coast, four Ugandans are part of the 15 officials selected from the CECAFA region.
Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) Chief Executive Officer, Edgar Watson, will be part of the Technical Study Group (TSG).
Other representatives from Uganda include FUFA Communications Director Hussein Ahmed and renowned journalist Usher Kyomugisha, who are part of the CAF communication forum.
Leila Nankya was selected for the protocol department, along with Hadja Kayishakire (Rwanda) and Veronica Lusichi (Kenya).
Next Media’s Jermaine Egesa, a renowned commentator and host of the BEATSNBALLs show on NBS Sport, is also stationed in Ivory Coast to perform commentary duties.
He was deployed to commentate on Group E matches featuring Tunisia, Mali, South Africa, and Namibia. Additionally, he will cover the decisive Group F clash between Tanzania and DRC.
Meanwhile, Ugandans are rooting for Tanzania to perform well as they are the only representatives from the CECAFA region. Tanzania will start their campaign this evening with a Group F match against 2022 FIFA World Cup semifinalists Morocco. The Taifa Stars will later face Zambia and DR Congo.