Lango, Busoga draw battle lines in epic Drum final

Neither Busoga province nor Lango province will be at full-strength when they clash Saturday in the Fufa Drum final at the MTN Philip Omondi Stadium. 

Both teams are after maiden silverware that is important for different reasons and have cruised to the last stage sharing the favourites tag. 

The much anticipated final has markings of an unpredictable affair considering that both teams are without a couple of pivotal players due to the Uganda Cranes engagement in Morocco.

Bob Obira's Lango that lost to West Nile in last year's final had threatened to boycott this contest in the absence of leading their goal scorer Denis Omedi and assists-maker Moses Aliro but later relented. 

Busoga coach Charles Ayeikoh, who might also miss the showdown while in Ghana, will also be without Uganda Cranes defender Kenneth Ssemakula and injured Bul left-back Nicholas Mwere. 

The provincial tournament doesn't limit teams on the number of players at their disposal provided they fall within the stipulated laws. 

For that reason, Lango have added the energetic KCCA midfield duo of Saidi Mayanja and Joel Sserunjogi to their arsenal to bolster their midfield realm as they seek to bump off the Busoga onslaught. 

To get to the finals, Lango has banked on the heroics of Omedi, Aliro  and of course Vipers playmaker Allan Okello who is expected to steer the wheel in the absence of his peers. 

Omedi scored a brace as Lango ejected holders West Nile 2-1 on aggregate in January and his aggression upfront will be dearly missed. 

In Darius Ojok, Innocent Maduka and Fazil Tumwine, they have a solid back up striking force to provide the goals. 

Wise men from the East

Busoga has been in imperious form throughout the tournament thanks to a sizeable bunch of players from Bul who formed the bedrock of the provincial team. 

Bul  stars Jerome Kirya, George Kasonko, Ibrahim Mugulusi, Reagan Kalyowa, Ibrahim Kazindula, Amos Kirya, Pascal Ngobi, Lawrence Tezikya and Amos Kirya have fortified Busoga's resolve to win their first trophy. 

Their enviable squad depth had marquee players like Isaac Wagoina, Elvis Ngonde and Laban Tibita that can each turn the game in Busoga's favour at any minute. 

In the semis, Ayeikoh's Busoga found it plain sailing against Teso in the return leg at Kamuli after they won 1-0 to back up their earlier 2-1 victory in Soroti.

Bul industrious midfielder Jerome Kirya scored in the line goal to seal their spot in the final with a 3-1 aggregate score in a match that was hosted at Kamuli Institute Grounds and attended by hundreds of adoring fans.

The fourth edition climax will have Busoga and Lango provinces each allocated 1500 tickets for their fans in the final anticipated to host 3000 spectators at Lugogo.