Unstoppable Kitende win ninth schools Cup

Kitende captain Robert Kitabarwa receives the trophy from AIGP Andrew Sorowen after beating Jinja SS in Copa Coca-Cola Schools contest on May 18, 2019. PHOTOS BY GEORGE KATONGOLE

What you need to know:

  • St Mary's Kitende have now got their hands on the national Schools Cup nine times - more than any other team since Coca-Cola took over the sponsorship in 1993. Record winners Kibuli have 11 titles, eight in 27 years with the other triumphs coming between 1986 and 1991.

JINJA. St Mary's SS Kitende chalked up their ninth title of the Copa Coca-Cola Schools Cup by a thumping 3-1 win over Jinja SS at Kakindu Stadium in Jinja on Saturday.
Kitende were going through their longest drought since the last victory in 2015 and school owner Dr Lawrence Mulindwa desperately needed the title to claim their place as football giants. He camped in Jinja for most of the tournament.

The 2017 champions Jinja SS, had home support and took a deserved lead in the eighth minute through Lawrence Tezikya to count for an earlier disallowed goal four minutes earlier. Despite forcing Kitende to work hard for most of the game, the Jinja giants run out of steam just when it mattered most.

Tactical changes in the second half saw Kitende head coach Dan Male replace midfielder Steven Serwadda with striker Najib Yiga while as Umar Kyebatala took the place of SC Villa’s attacker Charles Lwanga. It soon paid off with Kyebatala scoring the equalizer off Yiga’s cross in the 10th minute of the second half from the left. It was another case of poor goalkeeping by Lazarus Obulejo.


He was at fault again mistiming a cross to gift Kitende their second through Kyebatala.

An ambitious Jinja SS coach Abbey Kikomeko committed numbers in front in search of an equalizer but his side failed to deal with Kitende’s wing play and Richard Basangwa sent the game beyond their reach with a third. The fans painfully realised it and when he went to celebrate near his bench, chaos started.
Minutes of stone throwing forced the game to stop before as Police, for the second time, fired teargas to calm the situation. After another restart was interrupted by the fans referee Ronald Madanda called it a day.
With Kibuli exiting at the round of 16 stage, Kitende’s ninth triumph means they are the best team in the Coca-Cola sponsorship era that started in 1993. Record winners Kibuli have 11 titles, eight in 27 years with the other triumphs coming between 1986 and 1991.

Copa Coca-Cola Schools Cup
Final: Kitende 3-1 Jinja SS
Third-place: Buddo 2-0 Standard High
MVP: Edrine Mukisa Opaala – Jinja SS
Top scorer: Lawrence Tezikya (14 goals) – Jinja SS
Disqualified: Nakaseke Int’l, Mbarara High, Kisozi Seed and Musedde Memorial

Copa in numbers
59: Participating schools
206: Number of games played
297: Yellow cards
23: Red cards
554: Goals scored

Kitende’s nine trophies

2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2019

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