USSSA: St. Julian champions

St. Julian Seeta High School emerged victorious in the 2024 USSSA football tournament, defeating Amus College Bukedea 3-0 in Sunday’s final. This marks the first time St. Julian Seeta has won the prestigious schools’ title.

Coached by Felix Ssekabuuza, St. Julian dominated the final held at Mpungu Stadium in Masaka SS. They join a select group of schools outside Kampala and Wakiso districts to win the tournament, including St. Leo's (1997), Ngabo Academy (2001), Naggalama Islamic (2002), Bp. Nankyama (2010) and Jinja SS (2017).

St. Julian established a commanding lead early on, going into halftime with a 2-0 advantage. Their dominance continued in the second half, with Amus conceding a penalty and a red card. Star striker James Ssekate netted a brace, bringing his tournament total to four goals. Top scorer Simon Wanyama converted the penalty, extending his tally to seven, four behind golden boot winner Hakim Musaaba of Amus.

St. Julian's resilience throughout the competition was remarkable. They remained undefeated, conceding only one goal while scoring a whopping 16. This championship marks Coach Ssekabuuza's first win at the schools' level.

Meanwhile, Kitende's quest for a record 12th title fell short. After a penalty shootout defeat to Amus, they settled for third place with a 1-0 victory over Bukedea Comprehensive.

Despite acknowledging some luck, Ssekabuuza emphasised their determination to win. Their journey began with a controversial elimination in the Mukono District games before they challenged Latifah Mixed’s outcome. Bouncing back, they won the zonal qualifiers.

"This was our toughest test, but we used our chances well. We kept the pressure off the players throughout the tournament, but knew we had the potential to win it all," Ssekabuuza said.

The core of St. Julian's team has a history of success. They won the inaugural Fufa Odilo Championship in 2019 and represented Uganda in the FEASSA Games that same year. Additionally, playing for Gaddafi in the Fufa Juniors League, they emerged champions of the Caf African Schools Championship in 2023.

"We have been progressing so well," said Roberts Kiwanuka, chairman of the Uganda Youth Football Association and director of Rays of Grace School. "This win is a big deal, and we hope to continue producing talent for the national teams."

Amus disappointment

Amus' journey to the final was marked by controversy. Despite being eliminated twice in the knockouts, they benefited from the disqualifications of Jinja SS and Jinja Progressive in the Round of 16 and quarterfinals opponents.

Coach Nimrod Kintu acknowledged their defensive lapses and the impact of key player injuries.

"Lapses in concentration led to silly goals we conceded. Some key players were unwell but they didn’t inform us promptly. It affected our ability to cover those positions effectively," Kintu said.

Amus, ranked 17th in last year's ISF World Games, will now shift their focus to representing East Africa in Dalian, China.

USSSA Boys Football

Final: Amus 0-3 St Julian

Third place: Kitende 1-0 Bukedea

Individual awards

Top scorer: Hakim Musaaba (Amus) – 11 goals

MVP: Isma Mugalu (Kimaanya)

Best goalkeeper: Denis Mugerwa (Kitende)

Road to final: Amus College

GROUP STAGE

Ryakasinga 0-1 Amus

Amus 14-0 Madox

Amus 3-1 Kyaddondo

Round of 32: Paidha SS 5-0

Last 16: Jinja SS (pens 5-4) (Amus petitions)

Quarters: Amus 0-3 Jipra (Amus petitions)

Semis: Kitende 0-0 Amus (pens. 3-4s)

Road to final: St Julian

GROUP STAGE

St Julian 6-0 St Kaggwa Bushenyi

Paidha SS 1-1 St Julian

St Julian 1-0 St Maliko

Round of 32: St Julian 3-1

Last 16: Jinja Comp 0-2 St Julian

Quarters: St Julian 0-0 Masaka SS (pens. 3-2)

Semis: Bukedea 0-0 St Julian (pens. 4-3)