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Fufa TV Cup: Smack defence earns them inaugural title
St Mary's College Kisubi players celebrate winning the inaugural Fufa TV Cup at Wankulukuku. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
Smack had to come from a goal down as the top scorer of the tournament Gift Fred Mutalya had hurt them in 38th minute to put Butiki ahead with a calm finish.
Griffin Mwesigwa scored deep in stoppage time to ensure St. Mary’s College Kisubi beat Kiira College Butiki 2-1 in the finals of the inaugural Fufa TV Cup held on Saturday at Wankulukuku Stadium.
Smack had to come from a goal down as the top scorer of the tournament Gift Fred Mutalya had hurt them in 38th minute to put Butiki ahead with a calm finish.
Mutalya has been firing in the closing stages of the competition with six goals in the semifinals and one in the final.
But as good as the marksman has been, he has had a leaky rearguard behind him. It conceded four times in the semis and it wobbled within two minutes of taking the lead.
Coach Fred Lumu Lujja felt the turning moment was that they let Smack equalize quickly through Jimmy Ambayo’s goal that came after turning away two defenders to find the left bottom corner.
Both sides were more cautious in the second half and that made work easier for Smack’s defence that conceded just twice in five games. The approach also set coach Ronald Mugalu’s side up perfectly to kill the game at the death through a counter attack that was finished by Mwesigwa.
Butiki still fashioned a chance with just over a minute of injury time to play but the Smack defenders got in the way to block and get their team over the line.
Butiki’s consolation came through Mutalya’s award and Ernest Olukor being named most valuable player while Smack had the tournament’s best goalkeeper in Darren Aine. The latter’s coach Mugalu also praised his boys for a job “well done” as various players warned that the school would be looking forward to defending the trophy at the next edition.
FUFA TV CUP
Champions: St. Mary’s College Kisubi
First runners-up: Kiira College Butiki
MVP: Ernest Olukor (Butiki)
Best goalkeeper: Darren Aine (Smack)
Top Scorer: Gift Fred Mutalya (Butiki) – 8 goals
Fairplay Award: Makerere College
Matches played: 13
Goals scored: 36
