When Sebastien Desabre named players for start preparations for the 2019 Afcon qualifier between Uganda and Tanzania on March, 24th, 31 of those were locally based players.

He went ahead and made it clear that he would need only nine players from the 31 to join another group of 15 for a camp in Egypt from May 18th to 22nd.

With club-less Hassan Wasswa and Godfrey Walusimbi part of the 31 and most likely to make the trip to Egypt, only seven slots seem to be available for the remaining 29 players.

One of those 29 players is Police midfielder Juma Balinya who was summoned to the national team for the first time and he is ready to take his opportunity.

“I need to use this as an opportunity to continue to be a member of the national team,” Balinya told www.football-256.com.

The former Vipers and Lweza player has 13 goals to his name and has been involved in almost 70% of the goals Police has scored in the league this season.

Balinya believes his form should give him the nod much as he knows the expectations of proving himself for the time he will be with training with the national team.

“I believe I am one of the best forwards in the court, I have a chance to prove it here and maybe make the last team,” he said.

“I have been playing well for my club, I believe I deserve this because I have worked for it and I know there is pressure to deliver, I will work hard to make sure this is not the last time I am here.”

Balinya and company will be part of the select side that will play against another select side from Kampala region on Sunday at Lugogo before the nine players are named for the camp in Egypt.

The 31 local based players summoned: Sebwato Nicholas (Onduparaka Fc), Saidi Keni (Sc Villa), James Alitho (URA FC), Charles Lukwago (KCCA FC), Obenchan Filbert (KCCA FC), Wila Paul (Police FC), Samson Mutyaba (Maroons FC), Kizza Mustafa (KCCA FC), Majwega Brian (Maroons FC), Godfrey Walusimbi (Unattached), Timothy Awanyi (KCCA FC), Mbowa Paul Baker (URA FC), Mujuzi Musitafa (Proline FC), Halid Lwaliwa (Vipers SC), Rashid Toha ( Onduparaka FC), Hassan Wasswa Mawanda (Unattached), Sadam Juma (KCCA FC), Eyam Ivan (Mbarara City FC), Tadeo Lwanga (Vipers SC), Okello Allan (KCCA FC), Waisswa Moses (Vipers SC), Bright Anukani (Proline FC), Owori David (Sc Villa), Allan Kyambadde (KCCA FC), Micheal Birungi (Express FC), Poloto Julius (KCCA C), Balinya Juma (Police FC), Serunkuma Daniel (Vipers SC), Kaddu Henry (KCCA FC), Madondo Joel (K-Jinja SS), Bashir Mutanda (Sc Villa)

The 15 foreign based players Summoned for camp in Cairo,Egypt: Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Jamal Salim (Al Hilah Omdruman, Sudan), Robert Odongkara ( Adama City FC, Ethiopia), Murushid Juuko (Simba, Tanzania), Chrysostom Ntambi (Coffee FC, Ethiopia), Nicolas Wadada Azam FC, Tanzania), Herbert Bockhorn (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Moses Opondo (VendsysselFF, Denmark), Joseph Ochaya (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Khalid Aucho (Church Hill Brothers, India), Faruku Miya (Gorica, Croatia), Edris Lubega (SV Reid, Austria), Emma Okwi (Simba, Tanzania), Muhammad Shaban (Raja Casablanca, Morocco)

Uganda Cranes Training programme

• March 11th -15th training at Lugogo (Local based players)
• March 13th – FUFA Press Conference at 12.30pm- Uganda Cranes coach addresses media at Lugogo
• March 16th- Regional Tour match: Uganda Cranes vs Kampala Regional Select team, 9 players will be selected from this local camp to join the 15 foreign-based players in Cairo.
• March 17th-Uganda Cranes Squad flies to Cairo for residential camp
• March 18th-22nd – (24 man Uganda Cranes Squad camp in Cairo, Egypt)
• March 23rd – (24 man Uganda Cranes Squad flies to Tanzania)
• March 24th Tanzania vs Uganda (AFCON Qualifier in Dar es Salaam)