‘Even Messi Misses’ - Cranes Coach Paul Put Defends Allan Okello After Penalty Heartbreak

Uganda Cranes head coach Paul Put offered a message of support for midfielder Allan Okello, who missed a late penalty in a dramatic 1-1 draw against Tanzania during their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations group stage match on Saturday.

Speaking after the rain-soaked contest at Al Medina Stadium in Rabat, the Belgian coach emphasised the team's overall progress and positive attitude, despite the gut-wrenching conclusion that denied them a crucial victory.

"We created chances, we played good football and we were in the game," Put stated. "Unfortunately, that’s football. We had a clear chance to win. It’s difficult, but I told the players to keep their heads up."

Put's tactical adjustments, which included five changes from the team that lost to Tunisia, appeared to pay off. The introduction of Bobosi Byaruhanga and Baba Alhassan brought stability to the midfield, while Travis Mutyaba, Rogers Kassim Mato, and Allan Okello provided a dynamic attacking threat behind striker Jude Ssemugabi.

The return of veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango, captaining the side at an AFCON for the first time in over six years, added a sense of composure. Uganda controlled large portions of the match and created the more promising opportunities.

However, they fell behind against the run of play in the 57th minute when Baba Alhassan was penalised for a handball inside the box. Saimon Msuva stepped up and coolly converted the resulting penalty to give Tanzania the lead.

Undeterred, the Cranes pushed for an equaliser as the rain intensified. Their persistence was rewarded in the 81st minute when substitute Denis Omedi delivered a pinpoint cross for Karl Uche Ikpeazu, who powered a diving header past the Tanzanian keeper to level the score.

The drama peaked in the final moments when Uganda was awarded a penalty after James Bogere was fouled in the area. Allan Okello took on the responsibility but sent his spot-kick over the crossbar, allowing Tanzania to escape with a point.

In his post-match comments, Put was quick to shield his player from blame, drawing a parallel with one of the sport's all-time greats.

"Even Messi misses penalties sometimes. He’s human," the coach remarked. "He took responsibility. He missed, it can happen. Maybe next game he scores and we are all happy. That’s football."

Put confirmed that the team would analyse their performance to sharpen their finishing ahead of their final, decisive group match.

In the other Group C fixture, Nigeria cemented their place in the knockout stages with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Tunisia. The Super Eagles' victory means the battle for the second qualification spot will go down to the wire.

Uganda will face Nigeria in their final group game, while Tunisia takes on Tanzania. Both matches are scheduled for Wednesday, December 31, at 7:00 PM EAT.