George Isingoma Kato had spent much of the afternoon waiting for his chance. When it finally came, he made sure Kyaggwe would have a moment to remember for years.
Coming off the bench, Isingoma scored the decisive goal in the 75th minute to hand Kyaggwe a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Gomba at Wankulukuku Stadium and deliver their first-ever Buganda Masaza Cup title.
For the match-winner, the feeling was special, particularly because his patience while waiting on the sidelines had finally paid off.
“It means a lot on my side to arise from the bench and score. I have been trying to focus while I was seated there, and that has helped me get off the bench and score,” Isingoma said after the final.
It was a moment he immediately dedicated to the people who have supported him along the way.
“I send my goal to my family; mum, dad and the Kyaggwe fans,” he added.
His strike did more than settle the final. It brought an end to a long wait for a county that had come close before but had never managed to lift the coveted trophy.
Kyaggwe first reached the modern Masaza Cup final in 2024; hopes were high that the long wait would end with a trophy. Kyaggwe supporters travelled to Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, in large numbers, filling the stands with drums, chants and unwavering belief.
But the afternoon ended in disappointment. Buddu’s Mike Walaga scored in the 22nd minute to condemn Kyaggwe to a narrow 1-0 defeat. The loss was painful for a team and its supporters who had waited two years for another opportunity to compete for the championship.
There was heartbreak, but also pride in a side that had finally brought the county back to the final.
Two years later, Kyaggwe returned with another opportunity, and this time they made it count.
Facing Gomba, Kyaggwe found their breakthrough through Isingoma’s 75th-minute strike. They held on to the slender advantage to finally get their hands on the trophy in their third final appearance.
For Isingoma, the championship is a major milestone, although he remains uncertain about where football will take him in the coming years.
“In three or four years I can’t say I will be here or there, but it’s God that makes the path. I will pray and wait to make it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gomba’s Meddie Kasule finished as the tournament’s top scorer, taking home the Golden Boot with six goals.
Kyaggwe fans may also have hoped to see their forward Lauben Lubulwa claim the individual award, but he fell short by one goal for the second consecutive time; in the previous edition, he missed out by a goal against then Buweekula’s Jimmy Kalema.
Still, Lubulwa’s disappointment was unlikely to overshadow the bigger achievement.