By George Katongole
Kyaddondo SS produced a dramatic late comeback to deny Kakungulu Memorial School and claim the boys’ title while Seroma Christian High School topped the girls’ standings as the USSSA Ball Games II National Futsal Championship concluded in Gulu on Thursday.
Junior Joseph Mudde struck with just two minutes remaining to hand Kyaddondo a 2-1 victory and condemn Kakungulu to a second successive defeat in the national final.
Kakungulu, who finished runners-up last year behind Mukono Kings, looked destined to end their wait for the title after Ivan Mubiru gave them a deserved first-half lead.
However, Kyaddondo regrouped after the break and levelled through Erick Ssebadduka before Mudde delivered the decisive blow just as the contest appeared headed for a penalty shootout.
The victory capped an impressive campaign for Kyaddondo, who had also eliminated St. Francis SS Busunju in the semifinals, while Kakungulu were left to reflect on another painful near miss after back-to-back final defeats.
Kakungulu captain Ibrahim Azabo admitted the result was difficult to accept after his side came within minutes of forcing penalties.
“We are heartbroken because we were so close. We worked hard throughout the tournament and believed this was our moment. Credit to Kyaddondo because they never gave up, but this defeat will hurt for a long time,” Azabo said.
Seroma finish strongly
The girls’ title was decided through a round-robin format, with Seroma Christian HS emerging champions after defeating Kakungulu Memorial 3-0 in their final fixture.
The convincing victory saw Seroma finish with 11 points, one ahead of St. Francis SS Busunju, who settled for silver on 10 points.
Kakungulu finished third with seven points while Masheruka Girls completed the standings with five points.
FEASSSA push gathers momentum
The successful championship in Gulu strengthened the case for futsal’s inclusion on the FEASSSA Games programme.
Having now featured as a medal sport at the last two editions of the USSSA Ball Games II, organisers believe the code has demonstrated both its competitiveness and growing popularity among schools across Uganda.
The qualification of the leading teams for this year’s FEASSSA Games in Morogoro, Tanzania, is expected to further bolster the campaign for the regional body to formally adopt futsal as a championship sport.
Final standings
Boys
Gold: Kyaddondo SS
Silver: Kakungulu Memorial School
Girls
Gold: Seroma Christian HS (11 points)
Silver: St. Francis SS Busunju (10)
Bronze: Kakungulu Memorial School (7)
Fourth: Masheruka Girls HS (5)