Denis Omedi was once a prison officer
For years, Denis Omedi lived a life few professional footballers could relate to.
While others focused solely on training and matchdays, the Ugandan striker was splitting his time between hospital wards and football pitches.
After graduating in 2019, he joined the Uganda Prisons Service as a nurse, working full-time shifts and then rushing off to train, often exhausted but never discouraged.
Progress was slow and sometimes cruel. Omedi was not fast-tracked, not hyped, and not protected by shortcuts.
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He simply stayed patient, trusting that persistence would eventually speak louder than age or circumstance.
That belief was tested repeatedly, but he never walked away from the game.
At 31, six years into his professional journey, Omedi finally arrived on the biggest stage of his career, the Africa Cup of Nations. His debut against Tunisia was not ceremonial.
Introduced just after the break, he seized the moment, scoring Uganda’s consolation goal and turning years of quiet sacrifice into a statement heard across the continent.
The Tunisia strike was only the beginning. Four days later, on Saturday, December 27, 2025, Omedi again stepped out of the shadows.
Brought on in the 65th minute, he became the difference-maker, showing maturity and clarity beyond the pressure of the moment.
His assist for Uche Ikpeazu’s equaliser earned Uganda their first point of the tournament and confirmed his growing importance. The point has also put the Cranes in a position to qualify for the knockout stages.
A win in their last group game against Nigeria could be enough to send them through. He played his club football with Rwanda’s APR in the 2024/25 season and was part of the Ugandan team that finished second in the 2026 CAF World Cup qualifiers.
FKA/JE
