Muangthong United and FC Ashdod have reportedly given Uganda internationals stark warnings: choose club security or answer the national call-up for the Africa Cup of Nations.
According to Paul Mukatabala, the Uganda national team officer, Muangthong United told Melvyn Lorenzen that travelling to Morocco to represent the Cranes at AFCON could prompt the Thai side to terminate his contract.
Lorenzen, who returned to the national fold after a decade away and featured in last month’s friendlies against Chad and Morocco, has signalled his willingness to wear the Uganda shirt despite the threat.
Defender Timothy Awany has received a similar notice from his Israeli employers at FC Ashdod.
Mukatabala says the club made clear that participating in the continental showpiece “could lead to your contract termination,” a warning he shared publicly on his official X account.
FIFA has already issued instructions obliging clubs to release African internationals for AFCON by December 15, six days prior to the tournament kick-off.
Uganda’s delegation is expected to fly to Morocco on Monday, December 8, with the final squad to be announced in the coming days.
The Cranes have been drawn in Group C, where they will face Nigeria, Tunisia and East African rivals Tanzania, a challenging pool as Uganda chase glory on African soil.
Mukatabala emphasised the players’ right to represent their country under FIFA rules while acknowledging the difficult position the club notices place them in.
For Lorenzen and Awany the choice pits club contracts against national pride, a dilemma that has reignited debate about clubs’ responsibilities when international tournaments overlap domestic interests.
Uganda fans will now wait to see whether the threatened club actions become contract terminations or whether the players head to Morocco to bolster the Cranes’ AFCON bid.
