Mukono Regional Copa championship 2018:
Final: Green Valley 1-0 Hands of Grace
Third Place:
Namagabi UMEA 0 (4) – 0 (1) Canan High
The 2018 Copa Schools football championship was successfully launched at Mukono Bishops school over the weekend.
This successful launch conceded with the the last two games of the Mukono regional championship held at the school play ground.
Namagabi UMEA booked their berth among the finalists that will represent the region having won their third place play off match with Canan High 4-1 after post match penalties.
Normal time had ended goal-less after 90 minutes.
In the main final, Green Valley overcame Hands of Grace 1-0 in a well contested final.
Addressing journalists before the main finals, Flavia Mbabazi Nabaasa, the Coca cola country manager, lauded the Ministry of Education and sports, the National Council of Sports, the Association of Secondary School Headteachers of Uganda and all partners for their cooperation over the years that has enabled this tournament to remain successful;
Through this tournament, we have managed to groom thousands of talented young boys and have created a plat form for those who are excellent at football to continue with it at a professional level. We are committed to the continued nurturing of young talent through this tournament
Mukono marked the first regional finals of the 2018 Copa tournament.
Other regional finals will be held in Kampala, Mpigi, Wakiso and else where in the country before the schools converge for the national finals at Mbarara High School in Mbarara later in May 2018.
Host school head teacher, Ham Ahimibisibwe noted that they are more than ready to host the tournament.
We are more than ready to host all the schools that will have qualified. There are 12 play grounds in Mbarara which have been prepared. Accomodation is set, internal transport, feeding and security has been beefed up
Last year, Jinja Secondary School lifted the tournament after beating St Mary’s Kitende in post match penalties.
St Julian’s Abduallah Ssenyonga was top scorer with 17 goals and Jinja’s Ivan Wani was voted as the Most Valuable Player (MVP).
It is now 25 years since Coke started sponsoring this tournament that has witnessed Uganda Cranes players graduate through the ranks as Murushid Jjuuko, Aucho Khalid, Tonny Mawejje, Farouk Miya, Godfrey Walusimbi, Muhammed Shaban, Denis Iguma, Erisa Ssekisambu, Yunus Sentamu among others.
The tournament has cultivated cultures as team spirit, friendship, constructive competition and mutual respect in thousands of players in over 2000 schools across the country.
This year, the soft drink beverage has also promised to renovate play grounds for each of the 25 schools where the tournament was hosted in the past 25 years.
