The Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) continues to demonstrate the impact of its school sports programmes, with two products of its beach soccer development pathway earning places in the final squad of the Sand Cranes, Uganda’s national beach soccer team, ahead of the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Beach Soccer Qualifiers.
Mugisha Jonathan of Standard High School Zana and Godfrey Edweu, a former student of Teso College Aloet, are the two players who have progressed through school sports to earn national team opportunities.
Mugisha Jonathan of Standard High School Zzana during training at Bunjako Beach
Jonathan was identified through the USSSA Weekend League and invited to the Sand Cranes training camp, where he impressed the technical team to secure a place in the final squad.
Edweu, meanwhile, made his mark during the 2024 National Ball Games II in Gulu, where he shone in beach soccer a year after the discipline was introduced to USSSA competitions. Having completed his studies at Teso College Aloet, his inclusion in the Sand Cranes squad adds another example of how school sports can provide a platform for young athletes to advance to the national level.
Godfrey Edweu, former Student and Player of Teso College Aloet on arrival in Burundi
Beach soccer was introduced to USSSA competitions in 2023 in Kabale, and in just a few years, the discipline has begun creating opportunities for student-athletes to showcase their abilities and progress beyond school competitions.
The latest selections reflect a pathway that USSSA has established across several sports, including basketball and football, where student-athletes have progressed directly from school competitions to national teams, while others have moved from schools to clubs before earning national team call-ups.
The two players’ achievements highlight the importance of investing in school sports as a foundation for talent identification, nurturing and development.
Through competitions such as the National Ball Games II and the Weekend League, USSSA continues to provide young athletes with opportunities to compete, gain exposure and pursue careers in sport.
As the Sand Cranes prepare for their AFCON Beach Soccer Qualifiers against Burundi, Jonathan and Edweu’s inclusion in the final squad stands as another milestone for USSSA and its commitment to developing sporting talent and creating pathways from school sports to the national stage.
Godfrey Edweu playing for his school, Teso College Aloet during the 2024 National Ball Games II
