National women's football team skipper and custodian, Ruth Aturo, will be playing at the highest level of women’s football in Finland after guiding her side Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat (FC KTP) to the Finnish top flight, the Kansallinen Liiga.

The Ugandan shot-stopper who joined the side early this year on a two-year deal played in the team’s 2-2 first-leg playoff against Rovaniemen Palloseura (RoPS) and although she did not feature in the return leg, qualification was still sealed with a 2-1 win for a 4-3 aggregate score.

The Kansallinen Liiga has 10 teams in competition every season with the last four playing a relegation round where currently ONS Oulu and NJS are battling while Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS) is still top with 58 points from the triple round robin league format.

“I am so happy that I'm part of the team that is going up to the top flight and all is due to God’s guidance. I will keep working hard to achieve more of this,” said a jovial Aturo.

Aturo now joins the likes of Crested Cranes stars Joan Nabirye (Vihiga Queens FC, Kenya), Sheebah Zalwango, and Gloria Namugerwa (FCF Amani FC, DR Congo), Viola Nambi (Vaxjo DFF FC, Sweden), Sandra Nabweteme (Fimleikafelag Hafnarfjordur, Iceland), Natasha Shiraz (Maccabi Kishronot Hadera, Israel), Fauzia Najjemba (BIIK Shymkent, Kazakhstan), Fazila Ikwaput (Omonia Women FC, Cyprus), Juliet Nalukenge (AMOK Chrysomolia FC on loan from Apollon Ladies FC, Cyprus), who ply their trade in different top-flight clubs in Europe.

Aturo’s move to professional ranks, her longtime dream, came after her heroics over fancied Ethiopia in the Africa Women Cup of Nations (WAFCON) that aided Crested Cranes to their 1^st continental showpiece in 22 years as Uganda qualified for the event that was held in August in Morocco.

Aturo who started playing football in 2009 with an outreach ministry, Divine Stars in Soroti, was later to be picked by Kawempe Muslim SS, which she later helped to four national secondary schools titles and three FUFA Elite League titles.

She later joined the UCU Lady Cardinals where she guided them to their maiden league title in 2019 preceded by the FUFA Women Super Cup in 2018.

Aturo has been Uganda’s first choice in goal, after her moment came in Crested Cranes’ first international friendly against Kenya Harambe starlets in July 2016 in Kisumu, when she replaced first choice Fatuma Namatovu who had been given matching orders, with the Kenyans winning 4-0.

She has been a prominent figure in the Crested Cranes set up and in 2018, she won two awards as goalkeeper of the tournament in both CECAFA and COSAFA where Uganda finished second and third respectively.

Born 25 years ago to Ben Ocharo and Grace Itwau of Atatai Village in Asuret sub-county in Soroti district, Aturo says goalkeeping is a family thing, starting from her later grandfather Nicodemus Angau who was a renowned shot-stopper in Soroti.