The Uganda Cranes may have beaten Chad 2-1 in a routine friendly on paper, but beneath the surface ran a far more gripping subplot – the captain’s armband is still searching for a steady bicep.
For the third straight outing, coach Paul Put kept everyone guessing. With regular skipper Khalid Aucho benched and former captain Denis Onyango – fresh from a four-year retirement – expected by many to reclaim his old crown, Put tore up the script.
Instead, he handed the armband to centre-back Jordan Obita, a defender with fewer than ten caps, a left-back by trade, and a man many still consider a newcomer.
The move didn’t just raise eyebrows; it set the tone. Under Put, the Cranes’ leadership is no longer a settled affair – it is up for grabs, and the Belgian is clearly willing to shake the tree to see who stands tall.
Everyone’s chance
Even more telling? This wasn’t a one-off gamble. Barely months ago, the same gaffer had entrusted the band to another fresh face, Elio Capradossi, before the Italy-born centre-half had even clocked seven appearances.
If the trend says anything, it’s that Put is crafting a new hierarchy, one bold decision at a time.
With Afcon just a month away, the Cranes’ captaincy isn’t just rotating – it is roving, roaming from arm to arm in search of the perfect fit. And in Morocco, Obita stepped forward like a man ready to make the armband his own.
Against Chad, Obita offered more than leadership symbolism; he backed it up with a mature, influential performance. Paired with Toby Sibbick in the absence of Capradossi, he anchored the backline with composure, timing, and vocal organisation – traits Uganda has desperately lacked at the heart of defence in recent years.
‘We could have played a lot better, we gave them the ball a lot. Sometimes we were a bit slow in passing but the positive of the day was winning. It was a massive privilege to get the armband. It calls for responsibility and I’m really happy and proud of getting a win.’
His influence from the back, coupled with his versatility across the left side of defence, continues to mould him into the sort of composed, modern leader the Cranes have missed.
Aucho on the spot
Equally symbolic was Put’s decision in midfield. With Aucho watching from the bench, naturalised Ghanaian Al Hassan Baba was handed the anchoring role, partnering US-based Bobosi Byaruhanga in a double pivot.
Baba – on debut – showed energy and positional sense, a clear signal that competition for Aucho’s long-held seat at the heart of midfield is no longer theoretical.
Put is clearly widening the door – and the message is unmistakable: no one’s place is guaranteed, not even the official captain’s.
‘We are happy with the win but we lost a lot of possession, we gave them the opportunity to come into the game. Now we have to prepare for the Morocco game which will be at another level but we have to try to do our best.’
That ‘another level’ is not poetic exaggeration. Morocco, hosts of the upcoming AFCON and already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, present a stern test one likely to force Put into more experimentation.
More rotations. More calls that challenge the traditional order. And yes, perhaps even another shift in the armband.
What is clear is that the Cranes’ armband has not yet found a permanent home. In Obita, Put tested a new heartbeat – and the defender showed promise of becoming more than a stopgap.
For now, the band remains roving – and Obita has thrown his hand firmly into the ring.