ATRACO Fc’s midfielder Johnson Bagoole has been summoned to the Uganda Cranes squad for the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup scheduled for December 31 to January 13 in Kampala, Uganda.

Bagoole, who has scored two goals this season for the taxi-men club has been summoned by Cranes coach Bobby Williamson alongside Sweden-based Mike Sserumaga as well as defender Andy Mwesigwa and midfielder Augustine Nsumba (both Iceland).

According to yesterday’s Uganda’s Daily Monitor, Fufa technical committee boss Asuman Lubowa said that the professional players were invited to help the locally based players compete more effectively.

"Much as we intend to give a chance to upcoming players to show their worth, we also need some with experience that will guide them. That is why we felt it necessary to invite four,” Lubowa said.

Nsumba, Sserumaga and Mwesigwa are already in the country as their seasons ended while Bagoole will join the Cranes team after the first round of Rwanda’s national football league which ends on December 13, three days after Cranes have assembled.

The former Uganda Revenue Authority star is the only Rwanda-based player called on the Cranes squad, which means there is no place for either Atraco captain Tom Semwogerere, who has had a good start of the season, Joseph Kabagambe, Hamsi Kitagenda, Michael Sebalinga or Alimansi Kadogo.

The Cranes are twelve-time record Cecafa champions but they have been drawn to play in a tricky Group A with rivals Rwanda, Tanzania, Zanzibar and Somalia. The Cranes begin their campaign against Amavubi Stars on January 1, 2009 at Namboole.

Ends