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Slau plot for sixth Beach Soccer title amidst adversity
Slau's Joshua Lubwama (in blue) jumps over Grace Church defender at Njeru recently> PHOTO/COURTSEY
What you need to know:
The new force set to wrestle with Davis Nnono's Slau side is reportedly an amalgamation of defunct Jinja Lions and a couple of players from Buganda Royal.
Five-time Uganda Beach Soccer League champions St Lawrence University (Slau), are clear favourites to retain the title, as they always are before every campaign.
That said, early signs this season suggest they face a much harder time retaining their title this time around, with the sudden emergence of a combined team in Kampala City BC that already leads the log.
The new force set to wrestle with Davis Nnono's Slau side is reportedly an amalgamation of defunct Jinja Lions and a couple of players from Buganda Royal.
"There are concerted efforts to see that we don't win a fifth straight title but we are ready for any sort of challenge before us. Already they (Uganda Beach Soccer Association (UBSA) are proposing a cut of our eight StarTimes Uganda Premier League players to five but we have an enviable squad depth to carry us through," Nnono told Daily Monitor.
Slau, that had their proposed match with MS Sand Lions postponed due to heavy rains in Njeru on Sunday, bank on UPL players; Joshua Lubwama (URA), Baker Lukooya (Wakiso Giants), George Kaddu (Wakiso Giants), Emmanuel Wasswa (Express), Ronald Mutebi (Mbarara City) and Medi Kibirige (SC Villa) to literally put the league at ransom.
They also have a couple of Sand Cranes stars like Rica Byaruhanga, Jonah Kikonyongo, Brian Nkuubi, Sharif Lubega and Sulaiman Ochero plus a few upstarts like Farouk Ssemukutu, Dickson Kamya, Amuli Mukasa, Sulaiman Ssali and Ivan Ssemujju that make Slau a formidable team.
"They current stadium mess (Fufa Technical Center Njeru pitch sand being gradually washed away by torrents of rain) aside, we remain the best equipped team to retain the league," Nnono added.
Newbies Kampala City were set to face Buganda Royal that galvanized them with players on Sunday before the match was postponed. The only game played had KJT beating Mengo Hill 5-4 with the victors' goals coming from Ashraf Mugumira (two goals), Sudaisi Kayiira (two goals), Ssekiziyivu Alvin (1).
Salim Mugerwa Mengo (three goals) and Patrick Ssebyabane (1) scored Mengo Hill's consolation goals.
