Cranes AFCON ’74 & ’76 Goalie Ssendegeya Raring to Go for East African Legends Festival
David GOMBE
Former Uganda Cranes goalkeeper Ali Ssendegeya is elated ahead of the second edition of the East African Legends Festival 2026 in Kenya.
Ssendegeya, currently in his early 70s, will be part of the Ugandan team that will represent the country at the tournament due in Nairobi from 26th to 28th October.
“I am delighted to be taking part in this tournament where former footballers will reunite on the football pitch to showcase their skills. It will be a great moment for me to share the same pitch with East African legends from other countries. I believe as Team Uganda we are well prepared to go ahead and win the event in Kenya,” said Ssendegeya.
Former Ugandan footballers under the Former Footballers Initiative (FFI) will once again lace their boots for the tournament where they will compete against Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar, among others.
Ssendegeya, who played for several clubs including KCC (1974), Kenya’s Bullets (1975), Coffee (1976), Express FC (1977-1983), Uganda Motors (1986), and Busia Park (1990), represented Uganda at the 1974 AFCON in Egypt and 1976 in Ethiopia.
The festival is held under the theme “The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives,” and is organized by AgeWatch Africa under the banner Dignity in Every Season, with players aged 60 and above being the only ones eligible to feature.
Also on the team are Saul Kizito, a former Express FC and Nile FC player who serves as the publicity secretary of the Former Footballers Initiative, and Isa Ssekatawa, formerly of KCC, Nytil and Express FC, who remains the only player to win the top-tier golden boot in Uganda for three consecutive years.