Final Drumming

West Nile Captain Vitalis Tabu (L) and Buganda Assistant Captain Jooga Rajab

What you need to know:

  • Soccer. Already on the back-foot after losing the opening leg, West Nile will be looking to upset the odds in final against Buganda.

KAMPALA. Both provinces are known for producing quality players as depicted in the various national teams.
Both had slow starts in this inaugural provincial tourney - Buganda losing the opening game to Kigezi and West Nile drawing away to Northern region’s Karamoja back in February.
That is a clear indication that although Buganda lead 1-0 from the first leg held last Sunday at Mukono Bishops grounds, West Nile can pay back in equal measure when the two teams meet in the ultimate decider this afternoon in Arua.
And the elevated conviction amongst the West Nile players as they went into camp on Thursday said it all.
“We shall go back and work on our mistakes. It is not yet over,” striker Brian Umony told SCORE. Yet West Nile have not been in this tricky situation before as they beat Bugisu home and away in the quarterfinals and drew goalless with Busoga over two legs before progressing after the post match penalty shootout.
Meanwhile, Alex Isabirye’s Buganda relied on home advantage to eject Kampala in the quarterfinals and Bukedi in the semifinals.
It promises to be a great spectacle watching Buganda’s attacking cast led by Onduparaka lethal forward Viane Ssekajugo, who netted the winner in the first leg, usurping the powers of homeboys that will be led by skipper Vitalis Tabu, Umony, Abel Eturude and Ezra Bida.
Fufa Communications manager, Ahmed Hussein Marsha elucidated the highs and lows the eight-month tourney has had.
“We are happy that we have hit the tourney objectives. We believe that taking the game to the masses was very important.
“Cultural and political leaders came out to show their passion for the incident-free matches that had huge fans attendance. We look forward to improvement in future,” he said. The overall winner of the inaugural provincial tourney will share the majority of the Shs100m cash prize.