Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango was forced off after 42 minutes of Uganda’s 1-1 draw with Botswana in a 2027 AFCON qualifying match.
The 40-year-old was replaced by 22-year-old Kingdom Osayi, who plays for Swedish third-tier club Assyriska FF.
The injury is a concern for Sundowns, particularly because Onyango has yet to feature for the club this season. He has been named in Miguel Cardoso’s matchday squad on four occasions but is still waiting to make his first appearance of the campaign.
Onyango returned to international football after a four-year retirement to help Uganda prepare for the 2027 AFCON tournament, which the country will co-host. Head coach Paul Put wanted the former captain’s experience as the Cranes began introducing more younger players into the national team.
Since coming out of retirement, Onyango has started eight of Uganda’s past 14 international matches and has kept two clean sheets.
The veteran goalkeeper previously outlined why he believed experienced players had an important role to play alongside younger members of the squad.
“Of course every team needs senior players and young blood because the young blood gives more energy and the senior players help the players to calm down when there is pressure to help them to manage the game,” he said last year.
“The game requires a lot of experience but it also requires a lot of running which is done by the young ones and that is what we share.”
Those comments followed Put’s insistence that experience would be crucial in supporting the next generation of Ugandan footballers.
Onyango’s future
Onyango’s role at club level has also attracted attention after Cardoso discussed how he manages the experienced goalkeeper and captain Themba Zwane within the Sundowns squad.
Both players understand their positions in the team, while Cardoso has the task of balancing an experienced group with younger players.
The 2027 AFCON could also prove to be Onyango’s final appearance at the tournament. It would be his fifth AFCON, and he is expected to consider ending his international career afterwards.
Uganda remain top of Group H despite being held by Botswana. The Cranes have taken five points from their first three matches.
Sundowns will now hope Onyango’s injury is not serious as they prepare for a demanding run of fixtures. He has been an important figure at Chloorkop for several years, and his experience remains valuable even though his playing time has declined.
