UPL stars lift Acholi into maiden Drum final, Bukedi shocks Lango
Keep distance. Acholi goal scorer Tito Okello (L) shields the ball away from Bugisu’s Ibrahim Massa on Saturday. Courtesy photo.
If there is any team that has benefited from the availability of Uganda Premier League (UPL) players at the Fufa Drum Tourney business stage, it has got to be Geofrey Akena’s Acholi.
They pipped resilient Bugisu to the final berth and now stand at the cusp of winning their first provincial title and bagging Shs30m prize reward just because their star players Tito Okello (Vipers), Hudu Mulikyi (URA), Denis Okot (Bul) and Derrick Ochan (Vipers) rose up to the occasion.
Whereas Okello scored the winning goal on Saturday at Pece Stadium in Gulu, versatile Mulikyi was at hand to bag the man-of-the-match accolade.
Sylvester Okello, Walter Ochora and Isaac Otto are the other top flight league players that made Acholi a formidable side right from the quarterfinals to now being just 90 minutes away from ultimate glory.
Yesterday, Bukedi’s 1-0 win left hosts Lango at a loss. Ibra Nsimbe, a forward at FUFA Big League outfit, Myda scored the all-important goal after just three minutes to silence the home crowd.
It then necessitated collective display from the entire Bukedi team to jealously protect the lead with pin-point saves from man-of-the-match goalkeeper Derrick Emukule.
“We deserve to be in the finals. It has been down to teamwork right from the group stages to this far,” Abbey Kikomeko Bogere, Bukedi head coach said.
The winner of the final that will be played tomorrow will take home Shs32m, gold medals and a glittering trophy while the losing finalist will pocket Shs15m and each of the losing quarter finalists Shs5m.
