Meet the Scottish teen brothers close to Uganda international debut

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Teenage brothers Olly and Seb Fisher are closing in on their international debuts with Uganda after being invited to train with the country’s youth national teams.

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In a report by BBC Sport on Wednesday, the Partick Thistle youngsters are eligible to represent Uganda through their mother, Kate, who was born in the East African country.

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Olly, 18, is a goalkeeper, while 16-year-old Seb is a striker. Both have been training with Uganda’s Under-20 and Under-17 teams respectively and say they have embraced the opportunity.

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The brothers first became aware of Uganda’s interest about six months ago after their father had a conversation with a football consultant at a game in Nigeria.

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They were subsequently invited to training camps in August and spent a week in Jinja, eastern Uganda.

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Olly said the call-up came as a surprise.

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“A real mixture of emotions. I was quite shocked. I didn’t really think that this was a possibility but I was honoured to be asked to represent Uganda. I thought it was a real big opportunity.”

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Seb, who has also been impressed by the experience, said he initially struggled to believe the opportunity was real.

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“I couldn’t believe it. It’s one of those things you look at and you’re shocked. You can’t believe it. Most other people couldn’t as well.”

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The brothers have a strong family connection to Uganda. Their grandparents lived in the country for several years after their grandfather moved there to teach, while their mother was born there.

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“My gran and grandad lived out here for, I think, four or five years. My grandfather came out here to teach in a school then my mum was born here. So, it’s a bit of a strange one,” Olly said.

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‘History in the making’

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Uganda Under-20 head coach and former Hearts and Ghana midfielder Laryea Kingston has also welcomed the brothers into the setup.

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Seb said Kingston told them they could become the first white players to represent Uganda, although that historical claim has not been independently established.

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“Coach Kingston was saying we’d be the first white boys to play for Uganda, which would be history in the making. It is very special,” Seb said.

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Olly added:

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“It’s never been done before, so definitely it is very special.”

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The brothers said they have quickly settled into the squad, with their new teammates helping them adapt to the environment.

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“Everyone has been brilliant, welcoming, really great. The other boys have been brand new with us,” Seb said.

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Some of their teammates also come from the same area where their mother was born, giving the brothers an additional connection to the country.

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International ambitions

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The brothers are hoping their involvement with Uganda will lead to competitive international appearances.

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Olly hopes to be involved if Uganda qualify for next year’s Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations, while Seb could be in contention for the Under-17 squad for the November World Cup in Qatar.

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For Seb, the experience is also an opportunity to develop as a player.

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“That’s what you want as a footballer, being in an international environment. It makes you a better player and hopefully it does for the two of us, and I think it will, and benefit us very much going back to Scotland playing at Thistle.”

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The brothers are expected to return to Scotland soon, where they will continue combining their football commitments with education at Partick Thistle, while remaining hopeful of further opportunities with Uganda.

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