Murushid retires from Cranes

Defender Murushid Juuko has retired from International football, the Express FC player has confirmed with an official letter to FUFA.

It’s a shocking development for Juuko who made his Uganda Cranes debut on 11 July 2014 against Seychelles meaning he has spent eight years on the national team.

In his resignation letter sent to FUFA, Juuko said that “I believe I have served the country enough and it’s time for me to call it a day with Uganda Cranes.”

“This has not been a simple decision for me to make but together with my family and management we think this is the right step for me to take.”

Juuko’s last Uganda Cranes match was on September 6 2021 against Mali in World Cup Qualifiers at Kitende where he was sent off for an elbow.

The defender was later fined Sh20m by FIFA after his red card which he was supposed to pay as a player according to FUFA.

Close sources indicate that Juuko who could not afford to pay the fine, was not happy with the way FUFA handled his situation and so he has opted to resign from all national team engagements.

It is said that Juuko visited the FUFA offices in Mengo to see the FUFA President Moses Magogo over the matter but the meeting was not possible and was referred to National Team officer Paul Mukatabala, something he saw unrealistic.

Murushid retires from Cranes

It should be remembered that Magogo, Cranes players and officials pledged to contribute towards the clearance of the fine handed to Juuko by FIFA.

Juuko’s resignation comes as Uganda Cranes is in Asia for a tour. The team held Iceland on Wednesday in their first of five friendly matches with a 1-1 draw and to make matters serious even coach Micho has never come out to show if he has the defender in his plans or not.