The Uganda Cranes are gearing up to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, and the pressure is mounting on current coach Paul Put to deliver a formidable team. However, one of Put's predecessors, Peter Okee, set the bar high nearly 50 years ago. Okee led the Cranes to the 1978 Afcon final in Ghana, a feat that still stands as the team's greatest football moment. With a legacy that has endured for decades, Okee remains Uganda's greatest ever coach.
Before Okee's tenure, several coaches had handled the Cranes at Afcon, including Samson Yiga, Robert Kiberu, Westhoff Otto, and David Otti, but none had won a game at that level. German tactician Burkhard Pape, who coached the team in the late 1960s and early 1970s, is also considered one of the finest coaches in Ugandan football history. Pape played a key role in developing talent, including Jimmy Kirunda and Dennis Obua, but it was Okee who managed to get the team playing their best football.
Born in Gulu on March 3, 1930, Okee played for Prisons FC from 1965 to 1968 as a full back before transitioning to coaching in 1969. He coached Prisons, now known as Maroons FC, from 1969 to 1984 and became the first man to win the Uganda Premier League. Okee's impressive coaching career also included stints at Nile FC and Kenya's Mumias Sugar FC.
Okee was appointed Uganda Cranes coach in April 1976, with Jaberi Bidandi Ssali as Team Manager. He assembled a mixed team of youth and senior players, prioritizing youth players for his squad. Players like Phillip Omondi, Moses Nsereko, Mike Kiganda, and Tom Lwanga became key members of his team. Okee's approach emphasized discipline, respect, and control, which helped him get the desired results from his players.
Under Okee's leadership, the Cranes won their first Cecafa Cup title in three years in 1976, defeating Zambia in Zanzibar. The team defended their title in 1977, beating Zambia in a penalty shoot-out in Somalia. Okee's team then qualified for the 1978 Afcon in Ghana, where they upstaged giants Morocco and Nigeria to reach the final.
Okee's achievements with the Cranes are still celebrated today, with many considering him the most outstanding coach in Ugandan football history. Other notable coaches, such as Burkhard Pape, Polly Ouma, David Otti, Milutin Sredojevic 'Micho', and Sebastien Desabre, have also left their mark on the team. However, Okee's legacy remains unmatched, with his team achieving unprecedented success in the 1970s.
Despite Okee's impressive time as Cranes coach, his tenure eventually came to an end in 1984, after Uganda's elimination from the 1984 Afcon and 1986 World Cup qualifiers. Okee had taken a one-year refresher coaching course in Germany in 1982, but his team failed to replicate their earlier success. Nevertheless, his contributions to Ugandan football continue to inspire new generations of coaches and players.
Key points
- Peter Okee led the Uganda Cranes to the 1978 Afcon final and two Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup trophies.
- Okee is considered Uganda's most outstanding coach, with a legacy that has endured for nearly 50 years.
- Okee's approach emphasized discipline, respect, and control, which helped him get the desired results from his players.
