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E-mail Xinhua, March 18, 2025
KAMPALA, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Uganda's top striker Emmanuel Arnold Okwi on Tuesday announced his retirement from international football.
The 32-year-old has scored the highest number of goals for the national team and plies his trade for Rwanda Premier League side AS Kigali.
"An exciting new era for Ugandan football is coming up with East Africa hosting the CHAN later this August and subsequently the AFCON 2027 with many young footballers coming up. That is why, having cherished all those memories, I believe it is time for me to bow out and pave the way for our talented young football players," said Okwi.
The development comes after Okwi was not invited for the Uganda Cranes's two crucial FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying matches this month against Mozambique and Guinea. He last played for the national team in 2023 during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
The striker who has also played for teams in Africa, Europe and Asia made it clear that it has been a fulfilling dream representing his country at international level. "Donning the Uganda Cranes shirt always left a special feeling and captaining our team was an absolute privilege and honour," he added.
Okwi also thanked coach Bobby Williamson who handed him his debut in 2009, and the leadership of the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA). "I will always hold close to my heart the love shown to me by all the fans and my special thanks go to my family, Coach Bobby Williamson who handed me a debut, all the successive coaches thereafter with whom we created memories together through thick and thin," he added.
Okwi played for Uganda 95 times since making his debut in 2009, scoring 28 goals in that period.
He featured at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, scoring two goals. In 2021, Okwi was named captain of the Uganda Cranes.
Besides featuring for SC Villa in Uganda where he made a name for himself, Okwi also featured for Tanzania Premier League sides, Simba SC, Young Africans SC, Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia), SonderjyskE (Denmark), Al Ittihad (Egypt) and Iraq Premier League sides Al Zawra'a, Erbil SC and now AS Kigali in Rwanda. Enditem
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