St Julian wins maiden USSSA football title

Aloysius Byamukama

Journalist @New Vision

May 05, 2024

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St. Julian School Seeta emerged champions of this year’s USSSA national boys football championship after beating Amus College 3-0 in the finals at Mpungu Arena, Masaka SS.

It was the first time the two sides were appearing in the finals of the competition and the first time St Julian was winning the competition that started in 1986.

James Ssekate scored twice including one from the penalty spot, while Simon Wanyama added the third to help the Seeta school win their maiden title.

Amus conceded twice in the first half and their effort was discouraged in the second half after their captain Toto Majub was shown matching orders for a professional foul and Ssekate scored from the resultant penalty.

The Teso zone champions reached the final by winning a couple of petitions after losing to Jinja SS which had eliminated them in the round of 16 and Jinja Progressive which had beaten them 3-0 in the quarterfinals, for using ineligible players. They eliminated record champions St Mary’s Kitende 10-9 on penalties to reach their first final as St Julian eliminated Bukedea Comprehensive.

“We lost the game in the first 15 minutes and we could not recover. Our goal scorer (Hakim Musaba) started the game when he was ill and by the time we replaced him, we were two goals down and the red card killed all our hopes for recovery,” Is all Amus coach Nimrod Kintu could say

Kitende won the bronze medal after beating Bukedea 1-0 and their goalkeeper Denis Mugerwa won the best goalkeeper award, Amus’ Hakim Musaba who scored 11 goals was awarded the top scorer accolade while Blessed Sacrament Kimaamya’s Isma Magara won the MVP award.

Ismail Mulindwa, the director of basic and secondary education, Physical Education and Sports commissioner Rev. Can. Duncans Mugumya, USSSA president Justus Mugisha and Masaka SS headteacher Hajji Mpungu Musoke handed out the awards.

The 10-day event which attracted 64 school teams, was marred with petitions over ineligibility and complaints from the losing teams, but the championship technical committee chairman Richard Muhumuza says they made decisions according to the rules and regulations and advised teams to clean up.

The four semifinalists, champions St Julian, silver medalists Amus College, bronze winners St Mary’s Kimanya, and fourth finishers Bukedea Comprehensive School qualified to represent Uganda at the FEASSA games that will be hosted at Bukedea Comprehensive and Amus later in August.