Allan Okello’s AS FAR Move Continues Uganda’s Legacy
Uganda Cranes playmaker Allan Okello has completed a permanent transfer from Tanzanian champions Young Africans SC to Moroccan giants AS FAR Rabat, signing a three-year contract with the Botola Pro club.
AS FAR officially unveiled the 26-year-old attacking midfielder on Thursday, 20 August 2026, completing one of the most significant moves involving a Ugandan footballer in recent years.
“Welcome to the ASFAR family. Let’s fight for the colours and make this season unforgettable,” the club announced on its official social-media platform.
For the Former Footballers’ Initiative, Okello’s move is more than a transfer announcement. It is another chapter in Uganda’s continuing football story, a journey built upon the achievements, sacrifices and overseas experiences of earlier generations.
Following a path established by Uganda’s pioneers
Okello emerged at KCCA FC, the modern successor to KCC FC, where some of Uganda’s most celebrated footballers established their reputations.
The late Phillip Omondi, Jimmy Kirunda and Tom Lwanga formed part of the KCC and Uganda Cranes generation that dominated domestic football, won the 1978 CECAFA Clubs Championship and helped Uganda reach the Africa Cup of Nations final that same year.
Omondi and Lwanga later pursued professional football in the United Arab Emirates, becoming part of the early group of Ugandans who demonstrated that local players could compete outside the country.
Their overseas careers unfolded within a very different football economy, long before modern agents, detailed player contracts, digital scouting and the commercial visibility available to leading African players today.
Okello’s journey, from KCCA to Paradou AC in Algeria, Vipers SC, Young Africans and now AS FAR, is part of the pathway those earlier footballers helped establish. FFI’s player archive and Ugandan football timeline preserve that connection between the pioneers and the present generation.
A remarkable spell at Young Africans
Okello leaves Young Africans after a short but highly productive stay in Dar es Salaam.
The Uganda Cranes midfielder joined Yanga from Vipers SC in January 2026 and quickly became one of the club’s most influential attacking players. He contributed a reported 14 goals and eight assists as Young Africans retained the Tanzanian Premier League championship.
Despite spending only half a season at the club, he finished as Yanga’s leading scorer. His creativity, set-piece delivery and ability to score decisive goals attracted interest from North Africa.
Young Africans president Hersi Said confirmed the sale and left the door open for a future return.
Although we have sold Okello, this is still his home. He can return whenever we want him back or whenever he wants to return.
The statement reflected the strong impression Okello made during his brief time at the Tanzanian club. The Citizen reported Yanga’s confirmation of the transfer.
Reunited with a familiar coach
At AS FAR, Okello reunites with Portuguese coach Pedro Gonçalves, who previously worked with him at Young Africans.
That familiarity could prove valuable as Okello adapts to Moroccan football. Gonçalves already understands the player’s qualities and can deploy him as a central attacking midfielder, wide playmaker or creative presence behind the forwards.
Moroccan football will nevertheless present a demanding challenge. The Botola Pro is technically strong, tactically disciplined and closely followed across North Africa. Okello must compete consistently for his position while adapting to a new club, country and football culture.
His previous experience with Algeria’s Paradou AC should help him understand some of the sporting and cultural demands of playing in the region.
Joining a continental heavyweight
AS FAR enter the new season with major domestic and continental ambitions.
The Rabat club reached the 2025/26 CAF Champions League final after eliminating defending champions Pyramids and Moroccan rivals RS Berkane. They were eventually beaten by South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns.
CAF’s account of AS FAR’s route to the Champions League final demonstrates the standard of football Okello is entering.
The move gives him another opportunity to perform in the CAF Champions League and test himself against Africa’s leading clubs. Strong performances in Morocco could further raise both his profile and confidence ahead of Uganda’s forthcoming international assignments.
From Uganda’s Golden Boot to Morocco
Okello’s transfer follows an outstanding period in his career.
During the 2024/25 season, he scored 19 league goals for Vipers, finishing as the Uganda Premier League’s leading scorer despite primarily operating as an attacking midfielder. He also helped the Venoms win the league and Uganda Cup double.
Vipers credited him with 24 goals and 13 assists in 58 league appearances during his time at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende. The club sanctioned his transfer to Young Africans in January 2026 with six months remaining on his contract. Vipers documented his record and departure.
Before joining Vipers, Okello established himself at KCCA, where he won domestic honours and was named the 2019 FUFA Male Footballer of the Year. He moved to Paradou AC in Algeria in 2020 before returning to KCCA on loan and later signing for Vipers in 2023.
A transfer that also raises questions about player welfare
Neither AS FAR nor Young Africans officially disclosed the transfer fee or Okello’s personal terms.
The Daily Monitor, citing sources involved in the negotiations, reported a transfer fee of approximately $500,000, with Okello’s complete three-year player package valued at around $800,000. The same report claimed that Vipers retained a ten per cent sell-on entitlement. These figures remain reported rather than officially confirmed by the clubs. Daily Monitor’s account of the negotiations.
Significantly, the negotiations reportedly considered more than Okello’s headline salary. His representatives also examined accommodation, transport, living costs and the player’s general welfare before approving the move.
This is particularly relevant to the work of the Former Footballers’ Initiative. A successful football transfer must protect the player during his active career while also supporting his long-term financial and personal security.
The experiences of retired footballers show that public applause and large transfer figures do not automatically guarantee a stable life after football. FFI has continued to raise this concern through its work and its examination of the educational, financial and welfare challenges facing Uganda’s former players.
Okello’s move should therefore be celebrated not only for its sporting value but also for the reported attention given to his contractual welfare.
A boost for the Uganda Cranes
Okello has become an important member of the Uganda Cranes, providing creativity, goals and a considerable threat from set pieces.
One of his most memorable recent international contributions was the free-kick that secured Uganda’s 1–0 victory over Guinea in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at Mandela National Stadium in March 2025. FUFA documented the victory.
Regular football at AS FAR would strengthen his preparation for Uganda’s forthcoming international programme and the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which Uganda will co-host with Kenya and Tanzania.
The legacy continues
Every generation of Ugandan football builds upon the one that came before it.
Kirunda, Omondi, Lwanga and their contemporaries showed that Ugandan footballers could excel on the continental stage. Later generations expanded the country’s professional footprint, while players such as Okello now operate in a more visible and commercially developed African transfer market.
The responsibility is shared. Players must protect their careers and prepare for life beyond the pitch. Clubs must develop talent responsibly. Administrators must maintain proper records and support systems. Former players must be given opportunities to share the lessons learned from their own careers.
Okello’s move to AS FAR is therefore both a personal achievement and another milestone in Uganda’s football journey. His success in Rabat would strengthen the Uganda Cranes, inspire young footballers and add a new chapter to the history FFI is working to preserve.
