Uganda Cranes will chase a second victory over DR Congo in Johannesburg on Monday, but for coach Paul Put, the bigger prize remains finding more players capable of forcing their way into his competitive plans.
Uganda won the first of the two international friendlies 2-0 at FNB Stadium on Friday, with James Bogere and Kelvin Boateng scoring either side of half-time.
Bogere struck after only seven minutes, pressing DR Congo goalkeeper Dimitry Bertaud into a mistake before punishing the error to give Uganda an early advantage.
Boateng then doubled the lead shortly after the restart after Abdoulaye Sissako powered through midfield before releasing the forward to finish.
It was Boateng’s first senior international goal and came on his first Cranes start after making his debut off the bench against Libya during the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
“I always waited for this moment,” Boateng said afterwards. “Honestly, my target as a player is first to help the team as much as I can, so when we win, we are good to go.”
The victory was encouraging for Put, but perhaps more important was the number of fringe and newly introduced players who responded to the opportunity.
Put entered the two-match series determined to look beyond the core that collected four points from Uganda’s opening AFCON 2027 qualifiers against Tunisia and Libya.
Several players who carried the heavier workload in those matches were rested, allowing the Belgian to assess alternatives in competitive conditions.
“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,” Put said before the first game.
“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.”
The first audition produced several encouraging performances, Bogere strengthened his case in attack, while Boateng marked his first start with a goal.
Sissako also made an impression, providing the drive and final pass for Uganda’s second.
Allan Oyirwoth received another opportunity in midfield, while Denis Omedi captained a side featuring significant changes from the teams used against Tunisia and Libya.
Put also reshuffled defensively, with Geoffrey Lubangakene and Gavin Kizito among those given opportunities, while David Akpan was handed responsibility in goal.
Despite the changes, Uganda kept another clean sheet and extended an increasingly impressive defensive run.
The Cranes have now conceded only once in their last three matches, following a 1-1 draw away to Tunisia, a 1-0 victory over Libya in Hoima and the 2-0 win against DR Congo.
That sequence has come despite Put rotating personnel and testing different combinations around his preferred defensive structure.
For the coach, however, these friendlies were never designed solely around results.
“The result is not important,” Put said before the first meeting. “The important thing is that the players who didn’t play can show themselves.”
Monday provides another opportunity for that group, Sadam Masereka, Joseph Seremba, Richard Basangwa and Frank Ssebufu were among those introduced during Friday’s game
Other players in the South Africa camp are also pushing for meaningful minutes. Seremba made his intentions clear before the opening game.
“If a chance comes, you just have to grab it,” he said. “If I’m given a chance, we’ll have to put up a show which the coach really sees in me.”
The competition is becoming increasingly significant as Put attempts to build greater depth ahead of the remaining AFCON qualifiers.
Uganda opened Group H with four points, recovering from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Tunisia in Rades before Arnold Vula’s header secured a 1-0 victory over Libya at Hoima City Stadium.
DR Congo entered the Johannesburg friendlies in equally strong competitive form, having won both of their opening AFCON qualifiers, beating Equatorial Guinea 2-0 before defeating Zimbabwe 2-1 in Harare.
That makes Monday’s rematch another useful examination for Put’s second-string options.
DR Congo will be looking for a response after Friday’s defeat, while Uganda’s less-established players must show that the first result was more than a one-off.
For Put, another victory would be welcome, but if Monday leaves him with harder selection decisions when the Cranes return to competitive football in November, the Johannesburg double-header will have served its more important purpose.