Scottish brothers could make Uganda football history

Teenage Scottish brothers Olly and Seb Fisher are closing in on international football, although the opportunity is set to come with Uganda rather than their native Scotland.

The Partick Thistle pair qualify to represent the African country through their mother, Kate, who was born in Uganda while her parents were living there. Their grandfather had moved to the country to work as a teacher, with the family remaining there for several years.

If the brothers do eventually play for Uganda, they could also make history by becoming the first white footballers to represent the country.

The possibility of playing for Uganda emerged around six months ago, although the initial connection had been made earlier when their father met a football consultant while attending a match in Nigeria.

That eventually led to contact from the Ugandan football authorities and, at the beginning of August, both brothers were invited to attend national youth training camps.

Olly, an 18-year-old goalkeeper, joined the Uganda Under-20 set-up, while 16-year-old striker Seb was called into the Under-17 squad.



The pair subsequently travelled to Jinja in eastern Uganda for a two-week stay, giving them their first experience of training within the country’s international youth system.

Both were surprised by the opportunity, having previously given little thought to the possibility of representing Uganda. However, they regarded the invitations as an honour and an important opportunity to further their football development.

Their mother was equally enthusiastic about the prospect, particularly given her own connection with the country.

Chance to create history

There is also a Scottish football connection within the Ugandan set-up.

Former Hearts and Ghana midfielder Laryea Kingston is currently coaching Uganda’s Under-20 side and has suggested that the Fisher brothers could make history if they eventually represent the country.



The possibility of becoming the first white players to represent Uganda has added further significance to their involvement, although the immediate priority for both is establishing themselves within their respective age-group squads.

Their time in the country has also allowed them to strengthen a family connection that previously existed largely through stories passed down by their grandparents.

Despite having to adapt to considerably warmer training conditions than those experienced in Scotland, both settled quickly into their respective squads.

They also received a warm welcome from their new team-mates. Some members of the Ugandan squads come from the same area in which their mother was born, providing another connection between the brothers and the country they could soon represent.

Development at Partick Thistle

The brothers are at different stages of their football development, not least because they play in very different positions.

At 18, Olly is attempting to progress as a goalkeeper, a position in which opportunities at senior level can often arrive later. Seb, two years younger, is developing as a striker and remains at school.

For both, involvement with Uganda offers experience that is difficult to replicate through domestic youth football alone. International training camps expose young players to different coaches, team-mates, playing styles, and conditions, as well as the possibility of competitive tournament football.

They have since returned to Scotland, where their development will continue with Partick Thistle alongside their education. Olly is combining football with university, while Seb remains at school.

Their long-term challenge remains progressing towards senior club football, but their involvement with Uganda has already provided another dimension to their development.

Different international opportunities

The next steps could be very different for the two brothers.

Olly hopes to remain involved with the Under-20 squad should Uganda qualify for the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations early next year. Continued involvement would give him the opportunity to establish himself within the national youth structure and potentially put himself on the pathway towards the senior side.

Seb could have an earlier opportunity to represent his adopted country at a major tournament, with Uganda’s Under-17 side preparing for the World Cup in Qatar in November.

For a 16-year-old still developing his game in Scotland, involvement in a World Cup would provide experience on a very different scale from that available in domestic youth football.

It also means that what began as an unexpected approach could develop quickly. Only months ago, neither brother had seriously considered Uganda as a possible route into international football. Both are now part of the country’s youth set-up and have realistic ambitions of being involved in competitive internationals.

Their story also illustrates the increasingly varied routes through which young footballers enter the international game. Both were born and developed as players in Scotland, but their mother’s birthplace gives them a genuine family connection with Uganda and the opportunity to represent the country.

For the moment, their focus will remain on Partick Thistle and continuing their development in Scotland. However, Uganda could soon provide both with their first taste of competitive international football.

And if their progress eventually takes them from the country’s youth teams into the senior national side, the Fisher brothers could find themselves making Ugandan football history.

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Andy is a sports author whose writing explores the games, teams, rivalries, personalities, and stories that have shaped the sporting imagination. He has published three non-fiction sports books covering football, Formula One, and the wider stories behind some of sport’s most compelling rivalries.

His latest book, Football and War, examines the relationship between international football and the political and historical tensions that can lie beneath the surface of the game. It explores how football rivalries between nations are often shaped by events and conflicts that extend far beyond the pitch.