Hassan Wasswa proud to don Cranes jersey for 13 years as he quits international football

Uganda Cranes midfielder cum defender, Hassan Wasswa Mawanda has announced retirement from the national team with immediate effect.

In a post on his social media accounts on Friday, Wasswa, 33, announced that having served his country for 13 years, it is time to call it quits for international football and concentrate on his club.

“Today is a difficult day for me, but it is also a day of reflection and gratitude. Playing for Cranes has been a tremendous honor. It has been an honor to represent my family, my teammates and the people of Uganda. With much sadness but without regret, I realize that I am no longer able to adhere to the unwavering standard of excellence that professional football demands. I say this with a heavy heart: I am retiring from the National team,” Wasswa said.

“Knowing I can no longer compete at a level that I find acceptable, I have chosen to end my Cranes career.”

Proud to don cranes jersey

The player with 75 caps to his name could however not hold back  ‘tears’ as he relished moments during the 13-year spell with the national team.

Naming his first call up for the national team by Romanian–Hungarian coach, Csaba László in 2006, to his last games under current coach, Johnathan McKinstry, the former KCCA FC and SC Villa midfielder said it was always a moment to cherish whenever he represented his country, adding that he always gave in his best to make Uganda proud.

“Every time I put on that Cranes uniform, I have always strived to honor them and the principles they stand for, and I can only hope that I haven’t let them down.”

He added, “To my exceptional teammates, former and current, I owe you everything. Forming friendships and unbreakable bonds of trust on the field is what makes football so special and so important to me.”

Hassan Wasswa was part of the team that ensured Uganda returned to AFCON after 38 years in 2017.

He however last stepped on the pitch for the national team in a 1-0 friendly game with Ethiopia in 2019.

Since then, he had been relegated to the bench.

The 33-year-old player was on the bench as Cranes failed to qualify for the 2021 Afcon finals last month.

Earlier this week, FUFA president Eng.Moses Magogo, without mentioning names, took a swipe at “aged” players in the team set up whom he said have stuck to the national team for long and are now excess to capacity.

He said many of them are not adding anything to the team and could be partly blamed for the Cranes recent failures.

The Nile Post has also learnt that many other senior players are set to retire from the national team later this year.