The 2025 national 15s league winners, the Black Pirates, host 14-time league winners, the KOBs, in a mega championship opener.
The two sides last met in the Uganda Cup semifinal last year, with Saturday’s hosts coming out on top in a close encounter.
In the league, the KOBs edged the Pirates in a game that was determined by a last-minute drop goal by Josiah Ssempeke.
Going into Saturday, the Pirates shall have to bank on the good form they exhibited throughout the Uganda Cup, while the KOBs shall have to hope that their new signings have gelled in well with the rest of the squad. Although the Pirates weren’t so busy in the transfer market, they have the benefit of depth.
The KOBs shall have to address some of the issues they had in their last encounter with the Pirates. Defence is very key, especially when they lose the ball. Pirates are the Kings of broken play and thrive in chaos. A loose pass or a knock on from the KOBs shall have them on the back foot as the Pirates are lethal in transition, turning defence into attack.
Both sides’ set pieces looked shaky in the last minutes of that encounter, probably owing to fatigue and/or a change in personnel. Finishing as strong as you start requires a strong bench, which the Pirates have, but the KOBs have done some good business in the market to match their opponent’s depth.
Whereas the Pirates have kept their cards to their chest on transfers, the KOBs have been rather loud about their new acquisitions. Whether Mark William Lukwago or Brian Wandera jump straight into the KOBs starting lineup, or Davis Shimwa makes his debut for Pirates, the game promises to be an exciting way to start the new league.