Profile Of Uganda Squad For African Nations Cup

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Factbox on African Nations Cup qualifiers Uganda.

African Nations Cup record

Previous appearances in finals: (5) 1962, 1968, 1972, 1974, 1978

Best performance: Runners-up 1978

Drawn in Group D with Egypt, Ghana and Mali.

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Coach: Milutin Sredojevic

Sredojevic is barely known in his native Serbia but a regular feature on the African circuit for more than a decade.

Has earned exulted status in Uganda after returning the Cranes to the Nations Cup finals line-up after almost 40 years.

He has previously been national team coach of Rwanda and also worked at clubs in Ethiopia, South Africa and Sudan.

The 47-year-old is a popular figure with journalists for his candid outbursts.

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Key player: Denis Onyango. Age: 29. Goalkeeper.

Onyango was named as the best African-based player at the recent Confederation of African Football awards, after captaining Uganda to Nations Cup qualification and helping his South African club Mamelodi Sundowns to win the African Champions League in October.

He was the first goalkeeper to win the award.

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FIFA world ranking Dec. 2016: 72

How they qualified: Second place in Group D behind Burkina Faso but ahead of Botswana and Comoros Islands. Qualified as one of the two best runners-up in the group preliminaries.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Salim Jamal Magoola (Al-Merreikh), visa han quoc gia re Robert Odongkara (St George), Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns)

Defenders: Timothy Awany (Kampala Capital City Authority), Shafiq Batambuze (Tusker FC), Denis Iguma (Al Ahed), Isaac Isinde (St George), Murushid Juuko (Simba), Joseph Ochaya (Kampala Capital City Authority), Nicholas Wadada (Vipers SC), Godfrey Walusimbi (Gor Mahia), Hassan Wasswa (Al Nijmeh)

Midfielders: Khalid Aucho (Baroka FC), Kenya), Mike Azira (Colorado Rapids), Geoffrey Kizito (Than Quang Ninh), William Luwagga Kizito (Rio Ave), Tony Mawejje (Throttur Reykjavik), Moses Oloya (Ha Noi)

Forwards: Geoffrey Massa (Baroka FC), Farouk Miya (Standard Liege), Yunus Sentamu (Ilves Tampere), Mohammed Shaban (Onduparaka), Geoffrey Sserunkuma (Kampala Capital City Authority) (Compiled by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town,; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)