Bukooli Namayingo beat neighbours Bukooli Bugiri 2-0 to earn bragging rights in a fierce Bugiri derby in the 2026 MTN Busoga Masaza Cup on Sunday, 23rd August.
Two goals in either half from Eric Odiambo and Joseph Sida were enough to earn Namayingo all three points at a fully packed Namayingo Primary School playground.
Odiambo slotted home in the 23rd minute after being released by Nalugoda Yona inside the box.
He made no mistake, finishing calmly into the bottom right corner to give the hosts a deserved lead.
Bukooli Bugiri made a change in the 43rd minute, bringing on Dan Magand for Joel Mulumba, and the change looked to be the missing piece as the visitors ended the first half with a lively performance.
In the 70th minute, with the hosts seemingly succumbing to pressure, Namayingo coach Were Yasin withdrew skipper Nalugoda Yona for Ochieng Derrick and goalscorer Odiambo Eric for Sanya Vincent.
Bugiri kept their foot on the pedal and in the 84th minute, the pressure almost paid off when Isa Mugoya Gayanda’s drop found Sishisha Simon unmarked, but his effort went straight to Namayingo goalkeeper Bwire Sidagaya.
As the visitors kept pressing, the hosts capitalised on a counter-attack in the 87th minute. Bukooli Bugiri’s defence failed to deal with a loose ball, and Sida Joseph pounced with a long-range thunderbolt to double the hosts’ lead.
Reactions
“We worked together as a team, and all my players knew what kind of result we wanted from this match,” said Bukooli Namayingo coach Were Yasin.
On withdrawing his captain and goalscorer, he added: “The game was of high intensity and just like any other person, my players get tired. All my players are almost at the same level, and so I see no problem in bringing in some fresh legs to keep the team firing.”
Yasin also noted that the visitors were using long balls to try and beat his team, so he had to defend deep to counter their strategy.
Bukooli Bugiri’s Coach Kibogo Afan believes luck wasn’t on their side.
“We tried our best but couldn’t get the ball across the line. Most of my players are young, and at a certain time they gave a lot of respect to the opponent. When I realised that, I made some changes, and you saw how we had a better second half,” said Kibogo.
Sida Joseph from Bukooli Namayingo was named Man of the Match, while Upendo Benjamin from Bukooli Bugiri was the runner-up. Both players received UGX 200,000 and UGX 100,000 respectively, courtesy of MTN.
In other fixtures, Mikanza Augustine was on target as Bunha beat Bugabula 1-0 in Mayuge on Sunday, while Bukono played to a goalless draw with Budiope on Saturday in Ivukula, Namutumba.
The next match in the Busoga Masaza Cup will be on Wednesday as Kigulu hosts Butembe at Iganga Ssaza ground.
