Uganda Cranes players boycotted Saturday’s training session in Rabat amid an ongoing strike, just days before the team’s opening match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Sources within the camp say the players are in discussions with Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) officials, seeking clarity over match bonuses and the payment of allowances that have reportedly been outstanding for more than a year.
Mainly, the players are demanding payment of their qualification bonus for this AFCON tournament, while the Federation maintains that it is yet to receive the funds from government.
In addition, the players have expressed dissatisfaction with the camp allowances during the Morocco training camp.
The latest standoff echoes a similar situation at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt, when the Cranes players refused to train and threatened to boycott their round of 16 match against Senegal.
At the time, the dispute centered on unpaid bonuses and allowances, including a promised USD 10,000 reward for qualifying for the knockout stage.
That crisis was eventually resolved following intense negotiations, culminating in a meeting chaired by the then State Minister for Sports, Charles Bakabulindi.
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FUFA officials and senior players Denis Onyango, Emmanuel Okwi and Hassan Wasswa represented the two sides, with an agreement reached to pay an additional USD 6,000, allowing training to resume.
Uganda had progressed from a group that included hosts Egypt, DR Congo and Zimbabwe, but later exited the tournament after a 1-0 defeat to Senegal, with Sadio Mané scoring the decisive goal.
It remains unclear how the current impasse will be resolved, although the Cranes are scheduled to return to training on Sunday in a closed session at the Stade Olympique Annex.
Uganda begin their AFCON campaign on Tuesday against Tunisia, before taking on neighbours Tanzania on December 27 and five-time champions Nigeria on December 30.