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Feasssa: Kitende test for big-spending Bukedea on home turf
Kitende will be the team to beat. PHOTOS/COURTESY
What you need to know:
Owned by Speaker of Parliament Anita Among Magogo, who is also the wife to Fufa president Moses Magogo, Bukedea is making its debut at the East African games and is also hosting.
Those familiar with Ugandan football politics know that a match between Bukedea Comprehensive and St. Mary’s Boarding School Kitende is more than just a game.
And that will be the case when the two meet in the group stages of the 2024 Feasssa games that kick off this weekend in Bukedea.
Owned by Speaker of Parliament Anita Among Magogo, who is also the wife to Fufa president Moses Magogo, Bukedea is making its debut at the East African games and is also hosting.
Bukedea partnering with Amus, presented a colorful bid that beat heavyweights Namilyango, Jinja SSS and Jinja College to the hosting rights in their first attempt.
The school qualified both their boys and girls in volleyball but it is their football team that the lenses will put their focus on. Their semifinal appearance in the national schools finals in Masaka solidified their fast-rising status but in East Africa, Kitende is the team to beat.
It's now all systems go.
Kitende, owned by Magogo’s predecessor at Fufa Lawrence Mulindwa has won 14 out of the last 18 titles and looks unstoppable!
To meet the standards, Bukedea acquired Kitende’s long-serving trainer Ronald Ssali and some marquee signings in Uganda Hippos goalkeeper Humphrey Oyirwoth, teammates Elvis Ssekajugo and Reagan Ssekisambu. The others are budding youngster John Asiimwe and URA midfield prodigy Godfrey Ssekibengo.
The two schools will have an early go at each other after falling in Group A of the draws held in Kampala earlier in the week. They will tussle it out with Benjamin Mkapa from Tanzania and Kenyan duo Highway and St. Joseph's, with only the best two advancing.
“We don’t have any pressure because this is our debut but we want to impress our fans at home and make Bukedea proud,” coach Ssali said of his Bukedea ambitions. However, the first part of Ssali’s comments can be taken with a pinch of salt, considering the owner’s obsession with success and the investments made.
Bukedea will open the football games on Sunday against Benjamin Mkapa to set an early pace. “We shall take every game at a time starting with Benjamin Mkapa as we aim to get out of the pools,” Ssali added.
Kitende and Amus will kick off their campaign on Monday while newly-crowned Ugandan champions St. Julian will debut on Tuesday.
2024 Feasssa Games – boys’ football
Group A: St. Joseph's Boys (Ke), St. Marys Kitende(Ug), Bukedea Comprehensive(Ug), Highway Sec Sch (Ke), Benjamin Mkapa Sec (Tz)
Group B: St Julian (Ug), Amus College(Ug), APE - Rugunga (Rw), Musingu High School (Ke), Kalangalala Sec (Tz)
Opening fixtures
Sunday
Bukedea (Ug) Vs Benjamin Mkapa (Tz), 11am
Monday
Kitende vs. Highway (Ke), 11am
Amus vs. Musingu High (Ke), 3pm
