KAMPALA, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Uganda Cranes head coach Paul Put has expressed disappointment following the cancellation of the national team's two international friendly matches in Morocco.

Uganda was scheduled to face Tanzania on June 5 and Madagascar three days later in Marrakesh, the team had already arrived in Morocco when the matches were called off on Wednesday evening.

"The two International friendly matches against Tanzania and Madagascar have been cancelled due to sanitary and public health considerations as communicated by authorities through our match agents," the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) said in a statement.

Put said the cancellations were a major setback, stressing the importance of international matches in assessing players and building team cohesion.

"This is a big disappointment because I cannot test players. I had contacted some players for a long time and this time they had come for these matches and unfortunately these matches can't happen," added Put.

He noted that early preparations are crucial ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign, which is set to begin in September. ■