Katikkiro Mayiga hails ex-Cranes star Okwi

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The Katikkiro of Buganda Kingdom, Charles Peter Mayiga, has hailed former Uganda Cranes captain, Emmanuel Okwi, for his contribution to national pride through sports.

“We’re very proud of the contribution of Emmanuel Okwi to national pride through sports. His leadership as captain of the Cranes led to more growth of the national team,” he said on Wednesday (March 19) via X, formerly Twitter.

Mayiga wished Okwi happiness in retirement.

The former Cranes star on Monday took to social media to announce that he had bowed out to pave the way for the country’s talented young football players.

“An exciting new era for Ugandan football is coming up with East Africa hosting the CHAN later this August and subsequently the AFCON 2027 with many young footballers coming up,” he said.

While his international career has come to an end, Okwi continues to play at the club level with Kiyovi SC in Rwanda, adding to his impressive career that has seen him play for teams across Africa and beyond.

Since making his debut in 2009, he earned 19 caps and became Uganda’s all-time leading scorer in competitive matches with 22 goals.