- Buddo SS 1-0 Greenlight Islamic Nansana
A moment of silence gripped the Mwererwe Grounds as Buddo Secondary School edged Greenlight Islamic Nansana 1-0 to emerge champions of the USSSA Ball Games II U17 Boys Football Wakiso Qualifiers.
Despite recovering from a 1-0 defeat to Boston High School earlier in the competition, Greenlight had remained beyond the reach of Buddo SS until the two sides met in the final.
The decisive moment came almost in the dying minutes of the game when Ambrose Aboyi made a penetrating run on Abdul Shakur Kasibante “Trampet” before colliding with Greenlight captain Hamza Ssentamu inside the penalty area. Referee Brian Kyobe “BK” pointed straight to the penalty spot, a decision that sparked protests from Greenlight players.
Ssentamu was booked for dissent as Greenlight continued to object to the call. Abdul Shakur Babi stepped up and calmly converted the penalty, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to give Buddo SS the lead.
After conceding, Greenlight players stood frozen for nearly a minute before play resumed. Their intensity dropped noticeably throughout the remaining added minutes as Buddo held on for victory.
A few minutes before the goal, Greenlight had survived another scare. Francis Balaba delivered a free kick from around three metres inside the centre line, and Ambrose Aboyi flicked the ball into the net. However, assistant referee Thomas Kayemba was well positioned and ruled the effort offside.
Earlier in the match, Trampet’s cross from the right flank was brushed by Richard Carrick Sserubiri, with the ball going inches wide of the far post. Buddo captain Shafick Kitimbo also rattled the crossbar, while Babi headed the rebound over the goal.
Buddo SS started the game strongly, with Nicholas Kawooya and Abdul Shakur Babi leading the attack. In defence, Hamza Ssentamu and his goalkeeper showed resilience to keep Greenlight in the contest, while Shakur Ngoobi and Thomas Calvin Kawooya gradually grew into the game.
As Greenlight settled into the match, their technical bench raised concerns over what they perceived as inconsistent officiating by the young referee. The complaints persisted until the final whistle and resulted in heated exchanges between team officials and security personnel. The situation was eventually calmed by school director Haj Dirisa Wangi.
On their way to the final, Buddo SS had thrashed Boston High School 4-0 in the semifinals, with goals from Ambrose Aboyi, Nicholas Kawooya, Rahim Kato and Richard Carrick Sserubiri. Greenlight booked their place in the final with a 1-0 victory over St Austin’s, courtesy of a goal from Thomas Calvin Kawooya.
St Austin’s later secured third place.
All four semifinalists qualified for the Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) Ball Games II National Championship, which will be held in Gulu from July 8 to 18, 2026.
