Uganda Cup | Fixture

• Tepa FC vs Vipers SC
• UCU FC vs NEC
• Packwach Youngstars vs Kigezi HomeBoys

The 51st edition of the Uganda Cup will kickstart today Friday, January 10, 2025, with three anticipated encounters in the round of 64.

Vipers will be locking horns with Regional League side Teso Progressive Academy (TEPA) FC at St Aloysius Core PTC Grounds, Ngora.

Among the notable absentees are Allan Okello and Milton Karisa. Okello has been rested as a precaution for playing many games while Karisa will be out for two months after suffering a muscle tear.

“We do not take any team for granted and we have to prepare the same way we do for other games. We are managing the fatigue of some players, so we are likely to do some rotation,” Co-coach John ‘Ayala’ Luyinda said.

“We expect a good challenge from the team despite it being a regional side. But we are fully prepared to take it on,” the gaffer added.

In the previous edition, Vipers ended their Uganda Cup chase in the quarter-finals after being eliminated by Kitara FC following post-match penalties.

• Uganda Cup Final
• NEC FC vs Kitara FC
• Muteesa II Stadium, Wankulukuku

NEC will be taking Kitara in the 2023/24 Uganda Cup at Muteesa II Stadium, Wankulukuku on Saturday, May 25, 2024.

Ahead of the highly anticipated game, NEC head coach Hussein Mbalangu expressed readiness and revealed they are hungry for glory.

“I want to assure our fans of a revamped team that is hungry for glory,” he stated.

“We are a different team from the one that played last weekend on the final day of the Uganda Premier League against SC Villa,” he added.

Mbalangu is aware of the tough challenge staged in the final and believes they have fully recovered from the League’s fatigue.

“Although the team appeared fatigued in the previous games due to a long season, we have had a week of recovery and hopefully by Saturday the players will have recovered.”

“We also know the magnitude of the game thus we shall have to work hard and win the Cup. I am not under any pressure because I have previously won this trophy as a player,” he concluded.

The winner of the Uganda Cup will pocket a cash prize of Ugx 50 million while the runners-up will take Ugx 25 million.

The overall winner of the Cup will represent Uganda in the CAF Confederation Cup next season.

Kitara Football Club secured a 1-0 victory against Regional League side Pajule Lions Football Club in the FUFA Uganda Cup second leg on Sunday.

The first leg ended in a 3-1 victory at Masindi Municipality Stadium easing the effort needed in the second leg.

Brian Aheebwa broke the deadlock in the 15th minute to ensure that Kitara registered the much-needed victory.

The victory means that Kitara will take on NEC Football Club in the final of the prestigious competition.

It will be an all-Uganda Premier League affair as both sides are still in contention to win a double.

The two sides will lock horns in the final slated for Saturday, May 25 at a venue that is not yet confirmed by the federation.

• Uganda Cup | Semifinal
• NEC 2-0 BUL

NEC Football Club secured a 2-0 victory against BUL Football Club in the Uganda Cup semifinal encounter at MTN Omondi Stadium on Saturday.

Joseph Dhata and Cromwell Rwothomio were on target as the hosts claimed bragging rights in their backyard.

Dhata fired the hosts in the sixth minute ahead with a simple tap from close range after Emmanuel Obua failed to clear his line.

Twenty minutes later, Rwothomio doubled the lead after he guided the ball into the back of the net. Tom Ikara fumbled with Shamir Kimwero’s long-range before Cromwell converted in the box.

The first leg of the tie ended 1-1 at FUFA Technical Center Njeru before NEC sealed the victory at home.

BUL came into the game having beaten Vipers 1-0 to ascend to the Uganda Premier League table.

BUL’s dream to clinch a double was thus brought to an end after being knocked out of the cup tournament.

The tournament will continue with a clash between Kitara and Pajule Lions on Sunday.

• FUFA Uganda Cup | Result 
• BUL 1-1 NEC

NEC held BUL in a 1-1 draw in the Uganda Cup Semifinal encounter played at FUFA Technical Centre, Njeru on Sunday.

Jerome Kirya fired the host ahead in the 17th minute with a long-range effort beating Benjamin Ochan who was between the posts for NEC. It was a world-class strike that beat the custodian before finding the top corner.

The hosts held onto the lead until the halftime break as the score read 1-0.

Going into the second stanza, the visitors upped their game resorting to using the flanks and crossing continuous balls in the area.

Ten minutes after the break, Joseph Dhata restored parity as he guided the ball into the back of the net after being set up by Cromwell Rwothomio.

The result leaves the tie opened as the two sides have to match up in the second leg at MTN Omondi Stadium, Lugogo.

The other semifinal saw Kitara beat Pajule Lions 3-1 in the first meeting in Masindi on Saturday.

• Uganda Cup | Result
• Kitara 3-1 Pajule Lions

Kitara Football Club secured a well-deserved 3-1 victory against Pajule Lions in the Uganda Cup semifinal encounter at Masindi Municipal Stadium on Saturday.

Solomon Okwalinga, Denis Omedi and Frank Tumwesigye scored Kitara’s goals while Martin Wokorach pulled one back for the visitors.

The victory drags Kitara’s one foot in the final as they continue to chase a prestigious double.

Okwalinga fired the hosts ahead with an easy tap-in after Pajule custodian fumbled with Living Kabon’s initial effort.

The hosts continued to exert pressure on the visitors’ backline who looked organised in the opening minutes of the game.

Omedi doubled Kitara’s lead with a strong header that squeezed through the custodian’s palms into the back of the net.

Wokorach pulled one back with a long-range effort that caught Kitara’s custodian by surprise.

However, in the final minutes of the game, Tumwesigye placed the ball at the far post to seal Kitara’s sweet victory in front of a jovial crowd.

The two sides will meet after a week to decide who will take over one of the slots in the upcoming Uganda Cup final.

Uganda Cup | Fixtures 

• Kitara vs Pajule Lions
• BUL vs NEC

The Uganda Cup semifinal fixtures were confirmed after a draw at FUFA Complex on Monday, April 22, 2024.

The draw was held with former Express defender Umar Senoga.

In order to keep the dream of lifting a double alive, BUL will have to go past NEC.

On the other hand, Kitara will be taking on low-ranked Pajule Lions.

To reach this stage, BUL eliminated record champions KCCA while NEC ousted Police.

In the same breath, Kitara kicked out defending champions Vipers while Pajule Lions ejected Pakwach Youngstars.

The semifinals will be played on a home and away-basis. The first leg will be played on 27 and 28 April before the second leg is played on 4 and 5 of May 2024.

Kitara ejected defending champions Vipers from the Uganda Cup after a 5-4 penalty victory in the quarterfinal encounter played at Masindi Municipal Stadium on Sunday.

Kitara head coach Brian Senyondo thanked his trooped who hardly lost hope and fought from a goal down twice to win it late.

“We did not lose hope rather we kept fighting till the last minute,” Senyondo expressed his gratitude after the final minute.

“We pushed the game to the penalties which were a bit nervy. Good enough we scored all our five and they missed one and we are into the semi-finals and we can’t be happier than this,” he added.

Vipers were the better side in normal time with Allan Okello pulling the strings and giving a lot of trouble to Kitara’s backline.

Senyondo asserts that his front line was not sharp enough as they created less getting both goals from the 12-yard mark.

“We had some lapses and we were not very clinical and the combination play in the final third was not right that is why you saw that we scored both goals from the penalty spot.”

“In the second half, we tried to organise more on the interplays in the final third and luckily we bounced back in the game. We kept our heads high and got a reward. This is the beauty of the game no one was the game to end like this but today I am happy,” he concluded.

The two sides will renew their rivalry in the league encounter that is slated for Friday, April 19 in a highly anticipated duel.

• Uganda Cup – Results
• Kitara 2(5)-2(4) Vipers

Kitara edged Vipers 5-4 on penalties in the Uganda Cup encounter that was played in the Uganda Cup at Masindi Stadium on Sunday.

It was an end-to-end game that gave the perfect feel of two quality sides trying to fight for a semifinal slot in the prestigious cup.

The crowd had a game on their hands as centre referee Ali Sabila pointed at the spot on three different occasions.

Sabila awarded the hosts two penalties while the visitors got one and all were converted to stretch the game to spot kicks.

After a goalless draw, Yunus Sentamu fired the visitors ahead in the 57^th minute thanks to Allan Okello’s delivery.

Ten minutes later, Kitara levelled matters through Paul Mucureezi who converted from the 12-yard mark. This was after Sabila judged Rogers Torach to have tripped Jude Ssemugabi in the dangerous area.

In the extra time, Vipers regained the lead through Bright Anukani who converted from the spot shortly after Okello was fouled in the area.

But eight minutes to fulltime, Kitara was awarded yet another penalty that was calmly converted by Mucureezi sending the game in spot kicks.

For Vipers, Anukani, Torach, Patrick Mbowa and Hillary Mukundane successfully converted their penalties while Karim Watambala missed.

For Kitara, Living Kabon, Dudu Ramathan, Pady Muhumuza, Denis Omedi and Mucureezi all converted to send Kitara to the semi-finals.

Kitara completed the semifinal puzzle that already has NEC, Pajule Lions and BUL.

Uganda Cup | Fixture

• Kitara vs Vipers

Uganda Cup holders Vipers will be away from home to Kitara in the Uganda Cup at Masindi Municipal Stadium on Sunday.

Each side will be badly seeking for supremacy since Kitara has recently emerged to be such a big force.

The Royals sit on top of the log so they believe winning a double this season is something achievable.

Kitara head coach Brian Ssenyondo anticipates a tough duel but he added to become the best then they ought to beat the best.

“If you want to become the best, you have to beat the best,” Ssenyondo stated.

“Tough game against the defending champions but we need to bounce back after dropping five points in the last two league games,” he added.

“It will not be easy for us but I think we shall go to Masindi and pick the result we want.”

Kitara will miss the services of goalkeeper Crispus Kusiima, Brian Aheebwa, Arthur Kiggundu and George Ssenkaaba due to injuries.

Vipers will welcome back Ashraf Mandela back to the fold after missing Vipers’ duel due to accumulation of bookings.

In the last three meetings between the two sides, Vipers has has come out victorious.