The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) has extended the contract of Uganda Cranes Head Coach Paul Put until 2028.
The Belgian tactician, formerly in charge of the Gambian national team, was appointed head coach of the Uganda Cranes on November 2, 2023, replacing Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojević, who was sacked in September 2023 after failing to qualify Uganda for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast.
Paul Put brings vast coaching experience across Africa, Europe, and Asia. Between 2008 and 2011, he managed The Gambia national team before being appointed manager of Burkina Faso in March 2012, leading them to the 2013 AFCON final.
Earlier in his career, Put managed Belgian clubs Geel, Lokeren, and Lierse, before being handed a three-year ban by the Royal Belgian Football Association for alleged involvement in the Ye Zheyun match-fixing scandal.
He left his Burkina Faso post in February 2015 and later took over as manager of Jordan in June 2015. After a short suspension by the Jordan Football Association in December 2015, Put resigned in January 2016. He was later shortlisted for the Guinea national team job in July 2016.
In October 2016, Put was appointed manager of Algerian club USM Alger on a two-year deal. In February 2017, he was shortlisted for the Rwanda national team coaching job and later became manager of the Kenya national team in November 2017, before resigning in February 2018.
He then moved to China, taking over Xinjiang Tianshan Leopard later that month on a three-year contract, and in March 2018, became manager of the Guinea national team. However, he was sacked in July 2019 and later received a lifetime ban from the Guinea Football Federation in August 2019.
Put went on to serve as sporting director at Wydad Casablanca in October 2019, and later joined Bangladeshi top-flight side Saif SC as head coach in October 2020, resigning in February 2021. He then took charge of the Congo national team in May 2021 before moving to Uganda in 2023.
Under his leadership, Uganda Cranes are expected to undergo a period of rebuilding and renewed focus as the team aims to qualify for upcoming AFCON and World Cup tournaments.
(Daily star)
