Paul Put had his plans in order. He had planned for clarity. What he received instead was compromise.
Uganda’s final warm-up match before Afcon 2025 was meant to offer definition – of combinations, of roles, of who stands where when the margins narrow.
Instead, the friendly against Gabon disappeared late in the build-up, cancelled amid logistical concerns on the Gabonese side and leaving the Cranes without their last scheduled rehearsal.
For Put, it was another frustration layered onto a preparation period already shaped by constraint.
Europe-based players arrived late, release windows shifted, and carefully structured technical work had to be redrawn almost in real time.
‘Normally we have two weeks before the tournament starts to prepare our players,’ the Belgian said earlier in the camp.
‘Now, suddenly, we received a message that we can only have players from abroad on the 16th or 17th of December. All coaches are not happy with this situation.’
This was the moment
The Gabon match was meant to be the point where everything came together – the moment Put could shuffle his XI with purpose rather than necessity.
The 2-2 draw with AS Far Rabat was played without Put’s first choice defenders of Toby Sibbick, Jordan Obita, Elio Capradossi and Aziz Kayondo, while striker Melvyn Lorenzen just linked up with the team this week.
Dust self up
And yet, this is not just a story about loss. It is about adjustment. The Cranes did not come to Morocco late, nor in a rush.
They camped in Casablanca for nearly two weeks, played AS Far Rabat, and built rhythm in training rather than chaos in transit.
When the Gabon fixture fell away, Fufa confirmed a revised plan: one final training session, then relocation to Rabat, where Uganda will base themselves for their Group C campaign. That, too, is preparation.
Afcon begins on Sunday, but Uganda will not enter action until next Tuesday, when they face Tunisia in Rabat.
It is quite an opening assignment, followed by Tanzania and Nigeria in quick succession. The margins will be thin. The demands immediate.
The focus remains
Put knows that a friendly, however useful, does not define readiness. Structure does. Discipline does. Mental clarity does.
He has spoken repeatedly about combinations and reactions under pressure. About balance between youth and experience. About making decisions early enough for players to grow into them. Those conversations do not end because one match is cancelled.
The gloves debate in goal remains unresolved but alive. The back line has been assembled. Midfield options are clear. Up front, competition has been sharpened by arrivals rather than diluted by absence.
If the final rehearsal was denied, the stage itself remains unchanged.
Uganda arrive in Rabat not with everything answered, but with enough in place to compete. Afcon rarely rewards perfect preparation anyway. It rewards adaptability, composure, and belief under strain.
Put’s plans were hard done by. His campaign, however, is only just beginning.