She Corporate back, promise competitiveness

With just one loss in 15 Elizabeth Group games, the side stormed the FWEL playoff finals held at the Ndejje Campus of Standard High School Zzana on Saturday, where they beat Victoria Group leaders Olila High School 6-5 on penalties after a goalless 90 minutes to win the title.

Both sides played the regulation time with little conviction – after all they had already secured a quick return to the FWSL after topping their second division groups.

In the shootouts, Grace Nassongo missed Corporate’s first kick but they rallied with strikes from Stella Musibika and Anita Arinda to keep in contention.

Eunice Ariokot, Dorcus Lwalisa and Mary Lotyang also converted for Olila but their fourth choice Marion Amangat placed it wide of the target and Spencer Nakacwa leveled it 3-3 for Corporate.

The next two takes for either side; Brenda Munyana and Fiona Atono for She Corporate converted as did Doreen Apio and Oliver Adong for Olila. Olila’s seventh attempt by Esther Aanyu was saved and Joweria Nagadya made no mistake as her assured strike sent the Corporate faithful into a frenzy.

Sending warnings

“We have, maybe, three months to reorganize then come and put a challenge in the FWSL,” She Corporate coach Hassan Isa, said.

“Watching the FWSL this season, the top two hardly had any challenge so we want to show we can get in the mix again.

We have had a long (FWEL) season. We lost some of the players we started the season with and then towards the end, we faced some injuries but we are happy to be back,” he added.

They already showed in the quarterfinals of the Fufa Women Cup that they will be no push overs as they beat FWSL second runners-up Kampala Queens 1-0 away.

They are now in the semis, where their first leg with another FWSL side in Wakiso Hill ended 0-0 last week.

The second leg will be sorted this week. If they win, they will face Rines, who ejected Uganda Christian University (UCU) Lady Cardinals 3-2 on aggregate after beating them 2-1 on Sunday at Kabaka Kyabagu Stadium in Wakiso.

Corporate’s chairman Richard Kaweere says that he has “found out that the best way to keep the team motivated may not necessarily be to give them a lot of money but to pay what you promised in time and to be able to listen to and address their challenges.”

“We did not do that a lot in the season we got relegated but we are improving,” he added.

Olila want more

Meanwhile, Olila coach Saddam Pande saw his side lose only two games all season and is also promising they will have a better campaign in the FWSL.

“I cannot say for sure that the squad will have any significant changes in terms of departures or additions but we will compete. Today (last Saturday), we feel a bit disappointed that a good season ended like this but I thought we gave them the upper hand when we went into sudden death,” Pande said.

Meanwhile, Fufa is moving towards expansion of the FWSL with the 2025/26 season the target for a 12 team leg.

They therefore decided to relegate two this year and next season (2024/25) but they have promoted three from the FWEL this season to make 11 FWL teams and that will also be the case next season.

Byafaayo Queens completed the regular FWEL season thinking they were done for but their second place finish in Victoria Group gave them a chance to play Tooro Queens – also runners up in Elizabeth – and the former won 2-0, courtesy of goals from competition top scorer Sherline Opisa, at Stand High School Zzana, Ndejje to qualify for the FWSL. Byafaayo have now had back to back promotions from the regions to the FWEL and now FWSL.

Fufa Women Elite League

Playoffs

Champion: She Corporate 0(6)-0(5) Olila High School

3rd Place: Byafaayo Queens 2-0 Tooro Queens

MVP: Dorcus Lwalisa (Olila)

Best goalkeeper: Esther Akite - (Olila)

Top Scorer: Shayline Opisa (Byafaayo Queens) -16 Goals

Fairplay: Tooro Queens

Fufa Women Cup – Semis

Sunday: Rines 2-1 UCU

Rines advance 3-2 on aggregate

She Corporate tied 0-0 with Wakiso after first leg