St. Mary's Kitende storm semifinals after dominant group stage campaign

Uganda's representatives, St. Mary's Kitende, booked their place in the semifinals of this year's African Schools Football Championship after an impressive run that saw them finish top of Group A.

The campaign began with a frustrating 1-1 draw against hosts Zimbabwe, a match Uganda largely controlled but failed to convert numerous chances.

Zimbabwe struck first shortly after the break through Moses Moremude, but Bashir Endema responded almost immediately to earn Uganda a point.

Kitende quickly bounced back in emphatic fashion, dismantling neighbours DR Congo 6-0 in their second match at Ngoni Stadium in Harare. Captain Owen Mukisa led from the front, opening the scoring early before Musa Kironde added a second minutes later.

Mukisa grabbed his second of the game to give Uganda a 3-0 halftime lead, before Ivan Kakinda and Emanuel Opio extended the advantage after the break. Mukisa later completed his hat-trick to cap off a dominant performance.

Uganda sealed top spot in the group with another commanding display, defeating North African champions Morocco 3-0. Lucky Wanyama struck twice in quick succession, while Mukisa continued his fine form by netting his fourth goal of the tournament.

The results saw Uganda finish with seven points, ahead of Morocco on six, while Zimbabwe and DR Congo were eliminated.

Attention now turns to the semifinals, where Uganda will face Benin, the runners-up from Group B. Morocco will take on Group B winners Senegal in the other semifinal clash.

Head coach Hassan Zungu expressed confidence in his team's progress despite early concerns about missed chances in the opening game. He noted that the performances against DR Congo and Morocco showed clear improvement, but emphasized the need for clinical finishing as the tournament enters its decisive stage.

Selected Results

Group A

Zimbabwe 1-1 Uganda

Morrocco 6-1 DRC

DRC         0-6 Uganda 

Zimbabwe 1-1 DRC

Uganda 3-0 Morocco

 Semi Finals Tomorrow

Benin vs Uganda 1pm

Morocco vs Senegal 4pm