- Uganda Cup Final
- KCCA Vs Vipers – Kadiba Stadium | Satuday, 6 PM
Under the bright new floodlights of Kadiba Stadium this Saturday, the echoes of history and the weight of legacy will collide as Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) FC lock horns with Uganda Premier League champions Vipers SC in the Uganda Cup final.
It has been six long years since the yellow-clad Kasasiro Boys last laid hands on silverware back in 2019 when they triumphed in the CECAFA Cup.
For a club that once epitomized domestic dominance, Saturday’s final represents more than just a shot at glory. It’s a return to identity. It’s a Christmas present wrapped in the fabric of redemption.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference held at FUFA House in Mengo, KCCA head coach Jackson Magera fondly known as Coach Nelly cut the image of a man quietly determined, aware of both the enormity of the occasion and the shadows of the past.
“We have prepared well, we know the magnitude of our opponent,” Magera remarked.
“Inside our camp, those who were injured have returned. So it will depend on these three remaining important days to see who we can select to represent us on Saturday.”
KCCA will need every inch of that preparation; their path to the final has been anything but smooth. From grinding out results in tricky away fixtures to surviving nervy moments against Rwenzori Lions and Kataka in the quarter and semi-finals, Magera’s side has shown grit, though not always polish.
In the two-leg semifinal tie against Kataka, for instance, KCCA struggled to find rhythm early on at Lugogo, eventually stealing a late advantage.
In the second leg in Mbale, Kataka with nothing to lose, played fearless football, forcing a 1-1 draw and exposing KCCA’s vulnerabilities. These lapses, consistent throughout the season, have cost the club dearly both in the league.
Now, standing in their way is a Vipers team brimming with confidence and tactical sharpness. The champions from Kitende have already faced KCCA twice this season, drawing 1-1 at home and dismantling them 0-2 at Lugogo in a game where Vipers’ tactical switch, pushing Derrick Ndahiro into midfield, nullified KCCA’s early-season flair.
Yet for Magera, the final is a different beast.
“We are not going there just to watch around,” he declared.
“We are going there to put on a great performance to see that guests can become victorious. It has taken long without getting silverware. So we think this is the moment.”
There’s symbolism too; the last time KCCA beat Vipers in an Uganda Cup final was in 2018, a narrow 1-0 win in Bukedea.
That day, a young Julius Poloto scored the match-winner. Today, he wears the captain’s armband. His leadership and the inspiration of his past heroics will be crucial as KCCA seeks to replicate that historic moment.
But perhaps the most poetic twist lies in the story of Allan Okello. Once groomed by Magera and club legend Saaka Mpiima, the KCCA academy graduate now lines up for the rivals, Vipers SC.
Coach Nelly will be all too familiar with the talent and mindset of the young playmaker he helped nurture.
This final, then, is a tapestry of reunion, rivalry and redemption. KCCA, joint-record holders of the Uganda Cup alongside Express FC with ten titles apiece, have a shot at etching their name alone at the top.
For Magera, whose quiet revolution weathered inconsistency and injury at the start, with improvement sighted nearing the season’s close, Saturday offers a defining moment.
Can he do enough to shut out a Vipers side that has mastered the art of winning even without their best performance?
Uganda Cup Past Final Results/Winners
2011: Simba 2-1 URA
2012: URA 1-0 Bunamwaya
2013: SCVU 1-1 Vipers [AET, 5-3 pen]
2014: URA 2-2 KCCA [AET, 4-2 pen]
2015: Villa 3-0 KCCA
2016: Vipers 3-1 Ondurapaka
2017: KCCA 2-0 Paidha Black Angels
2018: KCCA 1-0 Vipers
2019: Proline 1-1 Bright Stars [5-4 pen (No extra time)]
2020: Abandoned due to COVID-19
2021: Vipers 8-1 BUL
2022: BUL 3-1 Vipers
2023: Vipers 1-0 Police
2024: Kitara 1-0 NEC
