You could feel the weight in Sam Ssimbwa’s voice – a crestfallen tone from a man who believed he had earned his ticket to Morocco.
For the veteran tactician, December’s TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations was supposed to be another chapter in his storied Uganda Cranes journey.
Instead, days before the team departs to face Tunisia, Tanzania, and Nigeria in Group C, he finds himself off the technical team, reportedly cut loose by his boss Paul Put in a move that has left him feeling deeply betrayed.
Insiders say Ssimbwa had already drafted his preferred 27-man provisional squad after Put personally asked him to do so.
He even followed it up with a lengthy tactical discussion at Put’s residence, convinced that the Belgian valued his input and intended to keep him close for the Morocco mission.
The next communication he received was the termination letter from Fufa CEO Edgar Watson.
“Yes, my contract expired but I should have been given an opportunity to serve my country on the big stage. One of the reasons I was appointed was to help the team return to Afcon. It is sad that I have been sacrificed. There are other people on the team who also dont have running contracts. Why did it have to be me,” Simbwa wondered.
Ssimbwa, the only Ugandan who applied for the Cranes job before Put’s appointment, joined the Belgian’s staff days into his reign two years ago.
For months, he was seen as the bridge between Put and local football dynamics – a role he embraced diligently.
But cracks began to show midway through their working relationship.
The first major red flag came during the Chan home tournament in August, where despite Ssimbwa contributing heavily to player identification and the initial summons, he was sidelined during the event.
The team, instead, was handled by stand-in coaches Morley Byekwaso and Fred Muhumuza, who guided Uganda into the last 16 – a historic first.
Those close to Mengo reveal that the decision not to renew Ssimbwa’s contract was influenced by ‘character issues,’ an accusation that stings a man who has served the country as a former Cranes midfielder and as assistant to several expatriate coaches particularly Lazlo Csaba in 2007.
His decorated CV did little to shield him this time.
Signs of an impending fallout were evident last month.
Ssimbwa was nowhere near the bench during the Cranes’ friendlies against Chad and Morocco, even though he travelled with the team.
Rumours swirled that he and Put were no longer aligned – a rift only patched superficially after Put signed his new two-and-a-half-year contract.
Now Muhumuza is reported to be elevated to join Put’s permanent technical staff.
The Belgian must now prove that severing ties with his longtime lieutenant was justified as he leads Uganda into Afcon 2025 and toward the 2027 Pamoja Afcon on home soil.