The 2023 Uganda Cup men’s competition has entered the knockout round with four mouthwatering clashes in Kampala City on Saturday afternoon. The Graveyard at Makerere will host a double header of Heathens-Hippos and Impis-Rams, Eagles will welcome Mongers at Kitante, and Kobs will take on Pirates at Legends.
Since the competition has been and continues to be overshadowed by multiple events and developments, here is a bit of what you need to know ahead of matchday.
The knockout bracket has all past winners of the tournament on one side. On the other side, three of the teams could make an appearance in the final for the first time in history.
QF1: Heathens vs Jinja Hippos
Heathens won all their four pool matches, bagging three bonus points and recording the highest win margin on the way to topping Pool A. Hippos, on the other hand, were far from convincing in Pool D. They won two matches, lost one, and drew with Rhinos to finish second. They sat above Rhinos by just one point due to Rhinos’ walkover defeat against Lira Bulls when they were still protesting participation in the tournament.
Despite being moved to a neutral venue due to Kyadondo Rugby Club’s unplayable surface, this will be a no-contest.
QF2: Kobs vs Black Pirates
With KOBs announcing a new sponsor in the off-season period, this epic rivalry has become known as the Bankers Derby. Kobs have the statistical edge over Pirates, having won all the matches they played in Pool C comfortably with bonus points. Pirates finished their Pool B matches on the edge of their seats having started with a home defeat to Eagles.
But, as history has consistently shown, statistics and numbers do not matter much when these two rivals meet.
QF3: Impis vs Rams
One might be inclined to think that Impis and Rams, both based at The Graveyard in Makerere, shared notes during the pool phase. They both registered three wins and a loss but Impis came out on top of Pool D while Rams were second in Pool A. Recent Uganda Cup records paint Impis – Shield winners twice in a row – as the happier team but Rams – losing quarterfinalist three times in a row – have always ranked ahead of them.
Although there are usually no trophies to battle for when these two meet, Impis vs Rams is Uganda’s most exciting derby. This year, with a place in the Uganda Cup semifinal up for grabs, it will be even more cinematic.
QF1: Eagles vs Mongers
Eagles announced their arrival on the big stage by beating 2022 losing finalists Black Pirates during the opening round. They topped Pool B and will play in the quarterfinals of the Uganda Cup without playing a single minute in the top-tier premiership. On the other hand, Mongers are not new to the knockouts. They have reached the Uganda Cup knockouts for all editions since 2016 but have only won once out of five times.
Kitante, a rugged and slippery surface on one of the widest rugby pitches in the city, is not the most favourable of playing grounds, even for the home team Eagles themselves. Thus, combined with the playing style of both teams, this will be the most physically gruelling encounter of the quarterfinal.
All said and done, only three teams – Heathens (12), Kobs (8), and Pirates (2) – have won the men’s Uganda Cup before. Shall we see a new champion in the twenty-third edition of the tournament?