Cipla dethroned as Coca Cola earn ticket to Dar
Coca Cola players clebrate after defeating Kampala Sun in the finals of the Standard Chartered Trophy. PHOTO BY JB SSENKUBUGE
What you need to know:
- The annual one-day tournament had two Monitor Publications Limited (MPL) teams, along with NTV, suffer group stage exits while New Vision beat NBS 8-0 in the highest scoring match.
KAMPALA. Once Sanlam Insurance knocked out much fancied Cipla Quality Chemicals Limited, it was anyone’s title as the Standard Chartered Bank Trophy reached its climax.
Almost everyone at Namboole Stadium on Saturday celebrated Sanlam’s 2-0 quarterfinal victory. A giant had gone down hard in a thrilling encounter.
The exit of pre-tournament favourites and defending champions Cipla meant that 2015 winners Roofings assumed the mantle as the team to watch.
Then, Roofings lost their semifinal to Coca Cola while the Sanlam fairytale was ended by Kampala Sun as the two appeared the fairest of the 40 teams.
The third edition was destined for a new champion. Cipla’s reign and dream of returning to Anfield, the home of English football giants, had gone up in smoke.
Coca Cola eventually prevailed 4-2 in a post-match penalty shootout after the final of the 5-a-side tournament was tied at 1-all after 10 minutes.
Goalkeeper Julius Otim Junior was the hero, saving two and scoring the winning penalty to bury the ghost of losing the 2015 final to Roofings.
“I wasn’t guessing by the way (during the shoot out,” a delighted Otim, a sales executive with the company in the southern region, told Daily Monitor. “Even those that went in, I went the right side.”
The ‘pseudo’ Man United fan wasn’t looking too far ahead with a visit to their archrivals’ home, Liverpool’s Anfield, in the offing.
“I am just a football fan,” Otim said before hastily adding “maybe Man U is my team.”
Coca Cola will now travel to Tanzania for Saturday’s regional finals with the winner of the East African leg competing for a single ticket to Anfield.
The annual one-day tournament had two Monitor Publications Limited (MPL) teams, along with NTV, suffer group stage exits while New Vision beat NBS 8-0 in the highest scoring match.
