Butambala delivered a major upset in the Masaza Cup, defeating group leader Buluuli 2-1 on Saturday, August 24th. This victory keeps all teams in the group alive for a potential quarterfinal berth.
The match, played at Kibibi SS in Butambala, saw Buluuli take an early lead through a penalty conversion by Robert Ssewanyana for his 6th of the campaign.
However, Butambala responded with a strong performance, equalizing 11 minutes later through captain Nicholas Kirabira, with midfielders Derrick Walugembe and Tonny Ndasi playing a big role.
The hosts continued their dominance with Derrick Walugembe scoring a crucial goal to put Butambala ahead. Buluuli thought they had responded immediately through a Ssewanyana equalizing goal but the strike was disallowed for offside.
The match was marred by a tense incident involving discontented Buluuli fans and their coach, Anthony Bongole. Security intervened to prevent the situation from escalating further.
Bongole reacted with bringing on star midfield player Muhammad Kanyike and Jacob Opa as substitutes after the duo’s long warm up, from the 15th minute of the game.
After the two replacing Yasin Ssekayanga and Asaph Ssegujja, the 2011 Masaza cup champions saw some improvement but they were unable to recover as Butambala did enough to contain the pressure.
What the result means
Buluuli’s recent form has been a cause for concern. Despite a strong start to the group stage, they have struggled in their return fixtures, drawing twice at home before the defeat to Butambala.
The group standings are now incredibly tight, with Buluuli still leading on 13 points. Buddu is close behind on 11 points, followed by Kyadondo on 10. Butambala and Bugerere are tied on 9 points, while Bulemeezi sits at the bottom with 5 points.
With several matches remaining, any team could still make a significant push for a quarterfinal spot. Buddu faces a crucial test against Kyadondo on Sunday, while Bulemeezi hosts Bugerere in their final attempt to improve their position.
Courtesy Photos
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