Stanbic Uganda Cup: Big League side Synergy dare to dream

Synergy lie 11th on the 13-team log of the Rwenzori Big League Group and face relegation to the third division.
Yet they are only two games away from playing continental football thanks to their form in the Stanbic Bank Uganda Cup.
The Masaka based side have made it to the semi-finals of the competition where they will face defending champions KCCA after Wednesday’s draw that also pitted Azam Premier League table leaders Vipers FC against SC Villa.

Should Vipers go on to win the Azam Premier League and also progress to the finals, then Synergy would become Uganda’s representative on the continent if they made it past KCCA to the finals regardless of the outcome.
It is a prospect that excites Synergy founder and coach Brian Ssenyonjo who is relishing the opportunity to play on the continent which would be a huge boost and would give both the club and the players more exposure.

Ssenyonjo attributed his team’s very contrasting fortunes in the two competitions to motivation saying his boys are more excited to play in the Stanbic Uganda Cup due to the prize money at stake unlike in the Big League.
“I think the prize money in the Uganda Cup has given the boys a lot of morale. In the Big League there is nothing much that comes out except promotion to the Premier League but in the Uganda Cup we have already have shs10m and once we make it to the finals we shall get even more.

“I don’t really emphasize it in the team talks but you can see the boys are more motivated when they play Uganda Cup” Ssenyonjo said.

“Another reason for the poor performance in the Big League is the fact that we released a lot of players to Premier League sides and other Big League sides and so the boys who are currently playing are from our academy and they are still adjusting to the Big League.

“I am confident that we shall survive relegation,” he added.
The semi-finals will be played over two legs on May 23 and 27 for the first legs and May 30 and 31 for the second legs.

For KCCA FC Coach Mike Mutebi, Synergy are a club that they cannot take for granted.
“Synergy play attacking football just like KCCA. Their coach (Ssenyonjo) is doing a good job of elevating youngsters like Nicholas Kasozi (now at SC Villa) and Solomon Okwalinga (now at KCCA). It will definitely be interesting to play them,” Mutebi said.