The Uganda Cranes will face the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) in an international friendly today 2nd October 2026, at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Kick-off is scheduled for 3:00pm local time (4:00pm EAT) as Uganda continues preparations through a series of international friendlies during the FIFA international window.
The two sides will meet again on Monday, 5th October 2026, in their second encounter.
Uganda Head Coach Paul Put says the fixtures provide an opportunity for locally based players and other squad members to demonstrate their abilities as the technical team assesses its options.
Put explained that some players will return to their respective clubs because domestic competitions are ongoing in their countries, while those who featured in the previous two matches will be rested to manage their workload.
‘It’s also the chance for the local players and the new ones who can play to show themselves and say to the coach, here I am. I want them to give themselves on the pitch and show that they have the level of our national team. That will make it more difficult to make the choices,’ Put said.
The coach expressed satisfaction with the team’s preparations, noting that the players had been attentive and concentrated during training.
He acknowledged the quality of the Congolese side, which recently competed at the FIFA World Cup, describing the encounter as a valuable opportunity for Uganda’s players to test themselves against strong opposition.
‘It’s a fairly tough team that has been playing in the World Cup and performed very well. But for us, it’s an opportunity for our local players to show themselves and compete against a very strong team,’ he added.
Put emphasised that the technical team would focus on assessing the players’ ability to implement instructions on the pitch rather than the final result.
‘The result is not important tomorrow and not for the last game. The important thing is that the players who didn’t play can show themselves,’ he stated.
Uganda Cranes defender Gavin Kizito said the team is prepared for the challenge, with all players in camp in good shape and no injury concerns reported.
‘We as players are prepared and ready to face Congo tomorrow because everyone is in good shape and we have no injuries in camp. We are super excited to play Congo because it’s going to give us good competition,’ Kizito said.
He added that facing a side of DR Congo’s calibre would provide valuable experience for the players, expressing confidence that Uganda could achieve a positive result.
Meanwhile, forward Joseph Seremba said the players are determined to seize any opportunity presented to them during the friendlies.
‘All I can say is that we just have to be ready. If a chance comes, you just have to grab it. If I’m given a chance tomorrow, we’ll have to put up a show which the coach really sees in me. I think I’ll be at my best,’ Seremba said.
The Uganda Cranes will use the two encounters to assess players, build competition within the squad and continue preparations for upcoming international assignments.
