They both recently led the Red Eagles to a 7th league title, their first and also the club’s first in 9 years. Club captain Enock Walusimbi and goalkeeper Denis Otim who made Uganda Cranes’ CECAFA U23 final squad are in a buoyant mood ahead of the showpiece kicking off on 18 July in Badir, Ethiopia.

The captain Enock Walusimbi who made his cranes debut at the end of June as the Cranes toured Saudi Arabia in preparation for CECAFA reveals leading the country at such a level is a dream come true, a huge motivation factor to repay the faith of the head coach.

“Firstly it’s an honour to captain the Cranes, as a country we’ve dominated CECAFA so the boys know we have to maintain that level and we can only do that by winning it, I am also glad that Otim is here, we both had a great season with the club but all that is in the past now, we have to focus on the job at hand”.

Goalkeeper Denis Otim has re-echoed his captain’s stand and added his work is cut out and he’s ready to do the job.

“I am so happy to make the CECAFA team, I played at the U17 tournament in 2019 so i surely have an idea of what is coming ahead. As a goalkeeper my target is to keep as many clean sheets when given the opportunity but like the captain said, we shall need to work as a team to win this, Uganda has a good record in CECAFA and we all intend to keep it that way”.

Otim managed five clean sheets last season, four in the domestic cup and one in the league while Enock Walusimbi put up a decent display the entire season switching roles between right and centre back. The Cranes who are pooled in group A kickstart their CECAFA title defence against DR Congo on 18th July 2021.