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Kawempe motivated by chance to win at home
Kawempe Muslim's Samalie Nakacha (L) battles Lubaga Martyrs Angel Kigongo Auki. PHOTOS/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
In 2015, Kawempe beat She Corporate and Buikwe She Red Stars at Nakivubo in the playoff semis and finals respectively.
Despite being the most successful women’s football team in the country, Kawempe Muslim has never had the chance to win a major trophy at their own home.
Such is the ‘misery’ of their fans that even in schools’ football, Kawempe Muslim Secondary School’s national and East African trophies have been won away from home.
When the league was in its first years, between 2015 and 2019, the competition had a regular season played in home and away format. The teams were divided into groups of five to six teams but the top two would qualify for the playoffs, from where the winners went into the finals played on a neutral ground.
In 2015, Kawempe beat She Corporate and Buikwe She Red Stars at Nakivubo in the playoff semis and finals respectively. In 2016, they beat Uganda Christian University (UCU) Lady Cardinals in the semis and She Corporate on penalties in the finals in Nakivubo.
In the 2016/17 season, they beat Olila in the semis then UCU in finals in Wankulukuku while the 2017/18 playoffs, where they beat Kampala Queens in the semis and Olila High School in the finals were held at MTN Omondi Stadium.
The 2019/20 season was supposed to be played over three rounds; home and away for the first two then the teams with better head-to-head records in each meeting would then host the third round.
Wakiso Hills Zaitun Namaganda (R) against Hadijja Nandago of Kawempe in a league game at the Valley in Kawempe.
The 2021 season was held at Fufa Technical Centre, Njeru. The 2021/22 season was the first one to be played and decided on a home and away basis. She Corporate won the trophy on the final day of the season at home (Makerere University Business School, Nakawa).
Kampala Queen also had an opportunity to lift the title in front of their fans last season. Kawempe will be yearning for the same although the bulk of them might miss the match as it happens on the morning of the day most of the students report back to school.
“We are here because we want to win the title and we will do everything possible to achieve that,” assistant coach Moses Nkata said after they beat Asubo Ladies in the penultimate match last weekend.
Where Kawempe Muslim won their FWEL titles
2015: Kawempe 3-2 Buikwe She Red Stars, Nakivubo
2016: Kawempe 0 (4) – 0 (2) She Corporate, Nakivubo
2016/17: UCU Lady Cardinals 0-4 Kawempe, Wankulukuku
2017/18: Kawempe 1-0 Olila HS, MTN Omondi Lugogo
