Prime
Okwi hangs up Cranes boots
Emmanuel Okwi. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
On his day, Okwi was unplayable. Blessed with pace, skill, and a predatory instinct in front of goal, he tormented defenders with the audacity of a seasoned poacher.
For a player who often carried Uganda’s footballing hopes on his broad shoulders, Emmanuel Okwi’s international retirement was not a question of if, but rather when.
That moment arrived on Tuesday mid morning. In a heartfelt message on his social media page, the 32-year-old forward announced he was bowing out, bringing an end to a Cranes career that was as exhilarating as it was unpredictable.
On his day, Okwi was unplayable. Blessed with pace, skill, and a predatory instinct in front of goal, he tormented defenders with the audacity of a seasoned poacher.
His versatility allowed him to play across the forward line, and when the Cranes needed a talisman, he delivered - be it his crucial strikes at Afcon 2019 or his record-breaking tally of competitive goals.
But if his brilliance was undeniable, so too were his inconsistencies. Injuries blunted his form, club instability saw him drift, and for the last three years, his name faded from Cranes discussions.
By the time Okwi declared his international retirement, netizens were less stunned by his decision and more puzzled as to why it had taken this long.
Since his appointment in November 2023, Cranes coach Paul Pit never saw fit to summon the veteran, confirming the silent divorce between Okwi and the national team.
Yet, for all the missed opportunities and what-ifs, Okwi leaves behind a legacy. He wore the captain’s armband with pride, his heart always on his sleeve. The final whistle has blown on his Cranes career, but the echoes of his goals will long linger.
Okwi at a glance
Currently plying his trade at Kiyovu in Rwanda, Okwi has played for several clubs including SC Villa, Simba SC, Young Africans, Etoile du Sahel, SonderjyskE, Al Ittihad, Al Zawra’a and Erbil SC.
In the aftermath of Denis Onyango’s retirement in 2021, Okwi was named captain of the Uganda Cranes. He last featured for Uganda Cranes in 2023 during the Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers.
Of his 28 goals for Uganda Cranes, 22 have come in competitive games, the most by any Ugandan footballer.
He featured at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring two goals, one against DR Congo and the other against Zimbabwe.
He is married to Florence Nakalega and they have children.
