2019 Copa Coca Cola Football Championship:
Semi-finals: Friday, 17th May
- 2 PM: St Mary’s SS Kitende Vs Buddo SS
- 4 PM: Jinja SS Vs Standard High School, Zana
*Both games at Kakindu Stadium
Kakindu Stadium in Jinja will not be a safe recommended place for the faint-hearted and those with high blood pressure on the afternoon of Friday, May 17, 2019.
The reason is well scripted on the wall for all to envisage.
Two Wakiso region schools, arguably the country’s best footballing entities – St Mary’s Kitende and Buddo SS will be squaring off for a valuable slot to the finals of the 2019 Copa Coca cola championship hosted by Jinja College.
These two bitter rivals come under close scrutiny to settle the unfinished business.
Over the years, St Mary’s SS Kitende has had the edge over their opponents but always, this match is too close to predict.
This year, Buddo paid back in the same currency winning the Wakiso region qualification finale staged at the Wakisha Resource Center playground 5-4 in a rather tense shootout following 90 minutes of thrilling action in a game marred by a heavy downpour.
When the semifinal draw was held at Jinja College on Friday evening, the two in-form teams at the championship were pitted together and it will be a battle of titans, a clash to settle egos and one match that will possibly headline the 2019 championship.
Key Talking Points
Both sides have extremely gifted (talented) players with a rich technical bench as well.
Whereas the defending champions Buddo have Simon Peter Mugerwa and Hamza Lutalo, the two tacticians who engineered their victory in Mbarara, SMASK boasts of a rich collection of coaches.
Joel Male, formerly at Kibuli SS heads the technical bench that also has the tried and tested Ronald Ssali, Edward Golola and Richard Wasswa among others.
The day’s tactics will matter a great deal but the most important pillar will be how the two respective players from either side react to the game demands and tempo.
Incidentally, both Mugerwa and Male talked of the two remaining games after their respective quarterfinal clashes as the ‘most important’.
We have two matches to play. These are very important games for us. Like I had after we had advanced from the group stages, the knock out games require special attention, we shall handle game by game and plan accordingly. We need to defend this title.
Simon Peter Mugerwa, Buddo Head coach
Every school that came to Jinja had the purpose of winning this title. We are remaining with two matches and our target is to win the championship.
Male, Head coach St Mary’s SS Kitende
SMASK’s Charles Lwanga, Richard Basangwa, Abdul-Karim Watambala, Steven Sserwadda and Dennis Ojara are special players that any coach (even in the top flight club football) would yearn to have on their team.
Incidentally, Lwanga plies his trade at SC Villa where Mugerwa is an assistant coach. This possibly could be a blessing for Buddo on how to handle him.
Buddo’s attack also has talented gems in KCCA academy team player Joseph Kizza Bukenya, scorer of the equalizer against Kitende in the Wakiso final, as well as Innocent Ronald and Emmanuel Loki (brace hero in this year’s quarterfinal).
How the respective defence lines contain these sharp forwards will be a rich discussion moments after the game.
In central midfield, Buddo is proud to have a workaholic in Hamuza Mulambuzi, the tournament’s most scoring holding midfielder.
Mulambuzi is well built and will sweat off his shins to block, tackle, distribute the ball at all ranges and reserve calories to venture upfront.
The two respective defence lines will also be another important department and worthwhile discussion.
Both teams have been mean to concede and have experienced players.
SMASK’s captain Azizi Kayondo, also a left back at Vipers in the Uganda Premier League leads the cast of defenders for the Entebbe road team to play alongside the calm Jacob Okao.
Joseph Dhata, a right back at Buddo who also proudly dons the arm band leads the Masaka road team.
The game, like afore-stated, will be separated by the slightest details and whoever follows the instructions and key guidelines to the dot will emerge victorious.
Meanwhile, the second semifinal will be against crowd pullers Jinja SS and the dark horses Standard High Zana.
Standard High Zana is led by SC Villa’ midfielder Abdallah Salim, also Standard’s top scorer with seven goals.
Salim offers a sense of direction to the team and remains their talisman by and large.
Jinja SS has the trio of Isma Mugulusi, Edrine Opaala Mukisa and the tournament top scorer Lawrence Tezikya (12 goals).
The trio has easily mended the gap by the off-form Kirinya-Jinja SS’ midfielder Vincent Zziwa who has been a shadow of himself in the tournament.
The two successful schools will play in Saturday’s grand finale.
Quarter-finals Results:
- 1st Quarter final: Buddo 2-0 Jinja Progressive Academy (JIPRA)
- 2nd Quarter final: St Henry’s Kitovu 0-2 St Mary’s SS Kitende (SMASK)
- 3rd Quarter final: Standard High School – Zana 1-0 Royal Giants
- 4th Quarter final: Jinja SS 0 (3) – 0 (1) Bulo Parents (Half-Time)
Thank you so much for the great updates
Thanks Dave for keeping us abreast with what’s happening in the ‘Schools’ league’.
Keep the good work up.