Ugandan football fans have once again shown that their sense of humour is as lively as their passion for the game, bringing a unique twist to the African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024.
Instead of the usual practice of customising jerseys with players’ names or nicknames, supporters of the Uganda Cranes have turned the stands into a comedy show, adorning the backs of their shirts with hilarious, meme-like statements that have taken social media by storm.
From bold takes on relationships to cheeky digs at politics, the fans have transformed their jerseys into canvases of social commentary.
Among the eye-catching slogans spotted were, “A prisoner is more free than a man who promised a woman money,” “Avoid poor women,” and “Japan used boyfriend.”
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Not to be left out, female fans fired back with equally witty inscriptions such as “Stingy men enough is enough.” One jersey even carried the line, “M7 has switched off his phone,” a tongue-in-cheek reference to President Yoweri Museveni, which drew laughter from the crowd.
These antics have lit up the entire tournament, and the humour in the stands has mirrored the drama on the pitch.
The Cranes’ group stage campaign ended in thrilling fashion against South Africa, where Uganda came from two goals down to rescue a 3-3 draw. Jude Ssemugabi gave Uganda the lead in the first half, but Bafana Bafana stormed back with three goals in the second half to take control.
Just when it seemed Uganda were heading out, Allan Okello converted a late penalty to make it 3-2 before Rogers Torach scored another from the spot deep into stoppage time, sparking wild celebrations at Mandela National Stadium.
The draw was enough to see Uganda progress to the knockout stages for the first time in CHAN history, topping their group ahead of Algeria and South Africa.
FKA/MA
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