Kitende face Zana in COPA final

By Samson Opus

Final
Kitende vs Zana 4PM

Results
St Juliana 1 Zana 2
Kitende 4 St Leo’s 1

DEFENDING champions St. Mary’s Kitende’s defence was breached for the first time in the COPA Coca-Cola yesterday but St. Leo’s Kyegobe could not stop their march into the final.

Henry Bwambale scored in the 8th minute to hand St. Leo’s a shock lead but Kitende replied with a quick fire brace either side of half time through Yunus Ssentamu. Farook Miya and Shafik Bukenya scored late in the second half to see Kitende through.

In the second semi-final, Standard High Zana’s Shaffa Kafeero struck a brace against St. Juliana High School Gayaza to book his team a place in the final.

Zana took the lead from the penalty spot when Kafeero sent St. Julian’s keeper the wrong way after the referee pointed to the spot for a foul in the penalty box.

Jerry Jakisa scored a fantastic equaliser in the second half but Zana were not to be denied and Kafeero popped up late on to score a dramatic winner.

Investment drives giants

No team can win the COPA Coca-Cola without massive investment, team work and patience. Perhaps this explains why only schools that offer bursaries to players like defending champions St. Mary’s Kitende, Standard High Zana and St. Julian High School Gayaza and St. Leo’s Kyegobe made it to the penultimate stage of the coveted tournament.

To Kitende tactician Joseph Kasana besides massive investment, team work and discipline is what gives the Wakiso giants an edge over the rest.

“We offer bursaries to over 40 players in football alone, besides other sports. So there is a lot of competition for a place in the team. Sometimes we are spoilt for choice. We have a good stadium that enables us to do any drill,” says Kasana.

“I cannot say how much but it is definitely costs a lot of money. If a school does not have a director who loves sport, it is quite impossible to achieve success” says Kasana.

According to Kasana, besides recruiting the best talent, Kitende invests in players from early as Senior One. Among the Kitende players who made it from Senior One include team captain Dan Birikwalira, Bob Olwoch and Miya Farouk.

It is such investment that has made St. Juliana High School Gayanza stand out after only four years of its existence. St. Juliana has assembly the best school going children from northern Uganda according to the school director Jeff Serunjogi.

“I treat my players like my children. Because most of them come from disadvantaged families, I stay with most of them during holidays,” he says.

Kitende who have also dominated the East Africa Secondary Schools Games boasts of a five-man technical team led by coach Edward Golola.

“We do not wait for COPA Coca-Cola. We work around the clock all year to maintain the team. We compete in various tournaments,” said Kasana who attributed Kitende’s success to the support of the school director and FUFA president Lawrence Mulindwa.

The show the pedigree, Kitende has conceded only one goal as they march into today's final-seeking a seventh title in the event.

A technical team led by coach Matia Lule has picked a cream of 23 Under-16 players for a one week training camp.

The team captained by Kololo SS Emmanuel Oringa for a tour of Kenya. Thereafter, the squad will have an international camp in South Africa.