Standard High Zana’s Mugisha Jonathan earns national team place after USSSA talent hunt
The Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) Weekend League is beginning to deliver on its objective of developing and exposing young sporting talent, with Standard High School Zana’s Mugisha Jonathan earning a place in the final squad of the Sand Cranes, Uganda’s national beach soccer team.
Jonathan was among several players identified through the Weekend League and invited to the Sand Cranes training camp as Uganda prepares for the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Beach Soccer Qualifiers.
While some of the selected school players could not report to camp due to their commitments as candidate-class students preparing for final examinations, Jonathan seized the opportunity and impressed the technical team enough to secure a place in the final squad.
USSSA Weekend League Manager, Kintu Ivan Bayige, said Jonathan’s achievement reflects the purpose and vision of the competition.
“The purpose of the Weekend League is not only to give learners games to play. It is also about creating a structured pathway where talent can be identified, developed and exposed to higher levels of competition,” Bayige said.
Weekend League Manager – Ivan Kintu Bayige
For Jonathan, the call-up represents a significant step in his journey from school soccer to the national stage.
“I am very happy to have made the final team. The Weekend League gave me the opportunity to play regularly and show what I can do. Being called to the Sand Cranes camp was a big opportunity, and making the final squad is something I am very proud of,” Jonathan said.
Mugisha Jonathan during training at Bunjako Beach – Mpigi
The Standard High Zana star now joins the Sand Cranes as Uganda prepares for its AFCON Beach Soccer Qualifier against Burundi. The first leg will be played away on 10 October 2026, with the return leg scheduled for 18 October in Uganda. The winner over the two legs will secure a place at the continental finals in Senegal.
Jonathan’s progression provides an early example of the pathway USSSA envisioned when it introduced the Weekend League—offering school players regular competition while creating opportunities for talent identification, development, and progression to the national stage.
Stories like Jonathan’s underscore the Weekend League’s role in strengthening the link between school sports and national team opportunities, further advancing USSSA’s mission of identifying, nurturing, developing, and promoting talent across the country.
