Onyango shares incredible AFCON memories as Child, Player

Different football personalities and lovers have different memories of Africa’s biggest football competition, the Africa Cup of Nations tournament depending on when they started watching it.

As the 34th edition kicks off this Saturday, January 13, 2024, in Ivory Coast, former Uganda Cranes goalkeeper and Captain Denis Onyango Masinde shares his fondest memories about AFCON.

In his interview with Sanyu FM’s sports journalist Clive Kyazze, Onyango says that as a child, he enjoyed watching Africa’s superstars with big names like Jay-Jay Okocha, Nwakwo Kanu among others.

“My fondest memory of AFCON as a child has been watching Africa’s superstars coming to play at the AFCON Championship,” said the Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper.

He added that, “Big players showing off their talent at one of the biggest tournaments in the world, leaving their clubs during this period and coming to play for their Nations was incredible.“

As a player, Onyango recalls 2017 when Uganda Cranes qualified for its first ever AFCON tournament after 34 years of waiting.

“As a player, it was helping Uganda to qualify for their first ever AFCON in 34 years. For me, going back with the national team for the first time after a longtime was incredible in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.”

It should be recalled that Uganda Cranes qualified for 2017 AFCON after beating Comoros 1-0 at the Mandela National Stadium in Namboole, courtesy of Farouk Miya’s 34th minute strike.

Additionally, Uganda Cranes making it’s second successive AFCON appearance in Egypt in 2019 will always be memorable for the former 2018 Africa’s best football player.

He narrates. “Playing a back-to-back AFCON, the next one in Egypt in 2019, so it was absolutely fantastic, representing my country at the highest level of African football and of course globally.”

In the 2019 AFCON, Uganda Cranes bowed out at the round of 16 after falling to Senegal 1-0 courtesy of Sadio Mane’s strike.