FUFA women beach soccer league came to life again after three years in the doldrums with three games at FUFA technical center beach soccer arena in Njeru.
The women’s championship hit a forced break, with three seasons not played since 2019 due to COVID 19.
But Asubo Gafford Ladies brushed Gomba Queens aside while Kampala Junior Team (KJT) beat Prison Ladies to mark the return of the women’s beach soccer league on Sunday.
Fatuma Nakasumba announced herself to the stage with six goals for Asubo Gafford who also had Brenda Nalumu and Adrian Musimenta on the score sheet with a goal apiece.
Nakasumba (in blue) controlling the ball
Gomba responded through Maureen Nangozi and Miriam Nakayima but their goals were not enough to rescue their side from the beating.
Action between Nansana Ladies and Prison Ladies
Prison Ladies defeated Nansana Ladies 4-0 with Winnie Kyomusisha bagging a brace, Prossy Odongo and Veronica Masinde also scored before Kampala Junior Team caught the prisons side off guard with a 5-1 win later on the day.
Young player of the 2022 women beach soccer festival – Leticia Nakyeyune scored a hat trick for KJT before Patricia Nakanjjako and Shamia Mutumba stretched their goal advantage to five.
However, Asma Mutumba scored at the wrong end to gift Prison Ladies a goal.
The league will resume on Sunday January 29 with three matches at FUFA technical center beach soccer arena starting at 11am.
The FUFA beach soccer league 2022/23 campaign eventually got going on Sunday after three games were played whereas two were deferred to a date that will be communicated in the due course.
Action between Mutoola and Grace Church
Twenty one goals were scored on match day one altogether; defending champions – St. Lawrence University and Mutoola played to wins at a moment Jinja Lions slogged Buganda Royal at Fufa technical center beach soccer arena in Njeru.
The University side began from where they stopped last season with a 5-2 advantage at Ms Sand Lions to start their title defense brightly.
Rica Byaruhanga set the four time champions on the journey of victory with a cool finish before Sulaiman Ochero, Baker Lukooya, George Kaddu and new man Ronald Magwali confirmed the win for Davis Nnono’s side with a goal each.
Ms Sand Lions struck twice through Robert Kato and Abbey Kauma but their goals only remained a consolation.
Jinja Lions then produced an earsplitting roar when they convincingly beat Buganda Royal in the second match on the day to get their season off to a dream start.
Debutant Simon Ojera put the Sand Kings ahead in the first period before Herbert Onyango made it 2-0 in the second period.
Fredrick Ngalo utilized the third period to score their third goal to pose a real scare for the last season’s finalists.
Ngalo celebrating with Onyango after scoring a goal
Although they struggled to find a spark against the well drilled Jinja based club, Paul Lule, and after many attempts, finally beat Julius Sseguya in the opponents goal to at least provide something for Buganda Royal to go home with.
Paul Lule (in blue) executing an overhead kick
In the last game, Mutoola kept their shoulder to the wheel to get the better of a never giving up Grace Church with a 6-4 win.
Paul Nsege and Sharif Apuuli scored twice individually, Musa Ssali and Peter Mukwata added a goal each to take Mutoola’s tally to six but Mulani Babu also showed up with a brace for Grace Church while Jacob Nakisi and Ben Owen strikes threatened to overturn the tables but Mutoola held on until the final whistle.
Matches between MUBS and Kiringente, Wolves and KIU were postponed and communication about the rescheduling of the said matches will be made soon.
Fufa beach soccer league will continue this coming Sunday of January 29, 2023 with five fixtures at FUFA technical center beach soccer arena. First match will kick off at 1PM
The fixtures for the men’s and women’s beach soccer league opening matches for season 2022/23 have been released, with all the fixtures in the two competitions lined up for Sunday January 22 at Fufa Technical Center in Njeru.
Fufa beach soccer league defending champions St. Lawrence will kick start their title defence against Ms Sand Lions while Buganda Royal will begin their season with a tie against Jinja Lions.
Jinja Lions’ Herbert Onyango (in red) vie for the ball with Baker Lukooya (in blue) of St. Lawrence during a league game last season
Kiringente BSC to face off with the two time league champions MUBS as Mutoola and KIU play Grace Church and Wolves respectively.
Matches in the men’s league will start at 1pm (EAT) following the Fufa women beach soccer league games which have been scheduled to begin two hours before.
In the Fufa women beach soccer league, Prison Ladies will open the campaign against Nansana Ladies while Mpata Ladies will clash with Gomba Queens.
Ajax Queens will entertain Gafford Ladies as Uganda Martyrs take on Kampala Junior Team (KJT). The matches have been scheduled to begin at 11am (EAT).
Fufa beach soccer league – match day one fixtures:
MS Sand Lions Vs ST Lawrence BSC
Buganda Royal Vs Jinja Lions BSC
Kiringente BSC Vs MUBS
Mutoola BSC Vs Grace Church BSC
KIU BSC Vs Wolves BSC
Kick off: 1pm
Fufa women beach soccer league – match day one fixtures:
Fufa women beach soccer league is back after three years of no action which was caused by the outbreak of COVID 19.
The 2019/20 campaign was cancelled when sports activities were banned by the government while the two seasons that followed were not played due to the adverse effects of the pandemic.
Action between Gomba Ladies and KJT in the just concluded women beach soccer festival
Nine teams have confirmed participation in the 2022/23 season with the campaign getting underway on Sunday January 22 at the Fufa technical center beach soccer arena in Njeru.
Two time women beach soccer festival winners – Uganda Martyrs, Gafford Ladies, Ajax Queens, Mutoola Ladies, Nansana Ladies, Prison Ladies, Mpata Ladies, Gomba Queens and Kampala Junior Team (KJT) are the sides that will compete for this season’s title.
The fixtures will be released with in the course of the week.
Mutesa 1 Royal University Ladies were the last side to win the women’s beach soccer league in the 2018/19 season when it was last held but they will not be part this time.
St. Lawrence University won the second edition of the UBSA super four beach soccer tournament with a 10-7 victory over Buganda Royal at Mutoola resort beach.
Sand Cranes star – Baker Lukooya struck four times in the final, including a worldie to lift his side from two goals down to beat Buganda Royal in a thrilling final on Sunday.
Baker Lukooya (in blue) outsmarts his marker during the final
MUBS did not show up to defend their title they won in the inaugural edition to allow Buganda Royal set up the final with SLAU who defeated KIU 13-7 in the first knock out match of this year’s competition.
The reigning Fufa beach soccer league champions, coming against a familiar foe who they comfortably beat in last season’s league final, had a false start to the game and they struggled to burry in their chances in the opening moments of the contest but they grew into the game as the clock ticked.
Buganda Royal soon took the lead through Dasan Mubiru who immediately doubled his side’s lead before Lukooya pulled one back for St.Lawrence. Paul Kato ensured Buganda Royal’s two goal cushion was restored with a cool finish but they failed to close the gates as Sulaiman Ochero scored two quick fire goals to tie the first period 3-3.
Just a few minutes into the second period, Lukooya put his awesome skills on display and left fans grinning from ear to ear when he scored a beauty for his team from a tight angle near the corner flag with an overhead kick, and the stylish forward added two more before Junior Mukunzi and Dasan Mubiru reduced St Lawrence’s advantage to one goal.
At 6-5, it looked like a mission possible for Buganda Royal – however, Jonathan Kikonyogo and Faruku Ssemukutu scotched their hope of any potential come back, each with a goal to stretch the lead for their side.
Despite being three goals down, Buganda Royal remained resilient and continued to put Davis Nnono’s side under pressure in the third period. They threatened to level the matters again when Mukunzi and Paul Lule found the net to reduce their goal deficit to one but Joshua Lubwama and Ochero stepped up to seal the win for their side.
Joshua Lubwama celebrating with Lukooya after scoring a goal
St. Lawrence, making their second appearance in the final of the super four on the trot, became the second team to win the tournament following MUBS’ success in 2021.
The UBSA super four tournament was a precursor to Fufa beach soccer league that kicks off the next Sunday of January 22, 2023.
For the UBSA super four beach soccer tournament 2023, four FIFA referees have been appointed to oversee the contests at Mutoola resort beach on Sunday January 15.
The roster comprise of Ivan Kintu Bayige, Muhammad Ssenteza, Kennedy Kawagga Bazirio and Joel Chote Munyendoh.
Referee Muhammad Ssenteza (in black)
St. Lawrence University will play KIU in the first match before Buganda Royal face off with holders MUBS, with the winner of each tie proceeding to the final.
Referee Kennedy Kawagga (in yellow) showing a red card to Elvis Kasujja of MUBS last season
The super four is a precursor to the Fufa beach soccer league which kicks off on January 22.
UBSA beach soccer super four will be played the next Sunday of January 15, 2023 at Mutoola resort beach.
The super four is a tournament that is always played by the four teams that reached the play offs of the previous season and it is often staged before the beginning of every new campaign of the Fufa beach soccer league.
In this tournament, the team that finished as the first (champions) in the league play the team that came fourth while the one who ranked second play who finished in the third place.
St Lawrence and MUBS in a semi final bout last season
St Lawrence University, Buganda Royal Institute, MUBS and KIU were the teams who reached the play offs last season, finishing first, second, third and fourth in that order and they are set to battle again for this year’s cup.
St. Lawrence beat Buganda Royal 9-5 in the final to win the league for the record fourth time while MUBS defeated KIU with a 5-2 victory to finish third.
The 2022/23 Fufa Beach Soccer League will start on Sunday January 22, 2023 and has been scheduled to end in June, with eleven teams competing.
It will be played on a double round robin system and the top four teams by the end of the regular season will engage in the championship play offs, and the winners of their respective ties will proceed to the final to determine the champion.
Nicholas Mwere (red) of Jinja Lions and Rica Byaruhanga (blue) of St. Lawrence in action last season
With the exception of the lowest ranked side on the table, six teams (beginning from number five to number ten) will also enter into a classification round to ascertain their final positions in the league. This is intended to provide more game time to the players.
This season will also have matches played at four different venues and they include; Mutoola resort beach, Fufa technical center beach soccer arena, Samachi beach in Busabala and Lido beach in Entebbe.
A sneak peek at Mutoola resort beach pitch
The eleven teams that will compete this campaign are;
Uganda Martyrs Lubaga reclaimed the women beach soccer festival title on Saturday to remain the only side to have won the competition following their triumph last year.
They showed some outstanding nerve to come from a goal down to beat Nansana Ladies 5-3 in a thrilling final contest at Mutoola Resort Beach in Mukono.
Cissy Nantongo ( in black) of Nansana Ladies vie for the ball with Fatuma Nakasumba (in white) of Uganda Martyrs
To reach this stage, Uganda Martyrs beat Gomba Ladies 6-3 in the semi final, while Nansana Ladies eased past Kampala Junior Team 6-0 at the same stage to set up a repeat of last year’s final.
During the hugely contested affair, Nansana drew the first blood and opened the scoring through Justin Najjuko, but Rogers Nkugwa’s girls soon started to rediscover their former selves and levelled the game through Fatuma Nakasumba’s penalty goal before the end of the first period.
Soon Nansana’s problems started creeping in as their only trusted goalkeeper Daphine Nyayenga was forced off because of a back problem and her place between the sticks was filled by Stella Namisango, an out field player.
Goalkeeper Daphine Nyayenga (in green shirt) was subbed off because of an injury
As expected, Uganda Martyrs hit three to lead 4-1 at the end of the second period as Catherine Nagadya scored twice and Nakasumba added another immediately after the stand in goalkeeper came on.
Nagadya (left) celebrating one of her goals with a team mate
Nyayenga returned to the fray in the last period after receiving treatment and Nansana started to look balanced and motivated, and almost came back in the game when Cissy Nantongo and Namisango struck goals for their side but Nagadya rose to the occasion to complete her hat trick and seal the victory for her side.
In the classification match, Gomba Ladies defeated KJT 4-1 to win the bronze medals.
Gomba Ladies won bronze
The champion will receive two million Uganda shillings (2,000,000/=) as the prize money for winning the competition on top of the trophy, Nansana Ladies will earn one million and five hundred thousand shillings (1,500,000/=) for finishing second while Gomba will receive one million Uganda shillings (1,000,000/=) for being the third placed team.
Catherine Nagadya scooped the topscorer’s award after netting fifteen goals and she was also voted as the most valuable player of the festival.
Daphine Nyayenga raced to the best goalkeeper award, and they will each get a cash prize of two hundred thousand shillings (200,000/=).
Nagadya after receiving her MVP medal
Other individual award winners were Leticia Nakyeyune of KJT and Rogers Nkugwa of Uganda Martyrs as the best young player and best coach respectively. Debutants – Nile Queens from Jinja won the fair play award.
Fufa second vice president Mr. Darius Mugoye graced the festival as the guest of honor, and he was flanked by Uganda Beach Soccer Association chairman Mr. Deo Mutabazi and Uganda Women Football Association chairperson Magret Kubingi, alongside other dignitaries.
Guest of honor Mr. Darius Mugoye handing over the trophy to the captain of Uganda Martyrs
Summary
Champion – Uganda Martyrs
Runners up – Nansana Ladies
Third placed team – Gomba Ladies
Awards
Best coach – Rogers Nkugwa (Uganda Martyrs)
Best young player – Leticia Nakyeyune (Kampala Junior Team)
Top scorer – Catherine Nagadya (15 goals)
MVP – Catherine Nagadya (Uganda Martyrs)
Best goalkeeper – Daphine Nyayenga (Nansana Ladies)
Fair play award – Nile Queens
This was the second edition of the women beach soccer festival and it is organised at the end of every calendar year by the Uganda Beach Soccer Association (UBSA) in conjunction with the Uganda Women Football Association (UWFA).
Holders Uganda Martyrs Lubaga made a winning start to this year’s end of year women beach soccer festival and made their intentions to retain the trophy clear with two huge wins as the women’s showpiece got off the mark at Mutoola Resort Beach in Mukono.
They beat Kampala Junior Team (KJT) 5-1 in group A’s first match which was also the opening game of the festival on Friday. Catherine Nagadya starred with four goals and Brenda Munyana sealed their win while Leticia Nakyeyune struck the consolation for KJT.
Uganda Martyrs Catherine Nagadya aiming a shot
Uganda Martyrs then ran to a cleansheet when they whitewashed Talented Ladies 8-0 in their second match.
Nagadya and Fatuma Nakasumba scored a hat trick individually while Munyana and Esther Namusoke also joined the scoring party with a goal each.
Talented Ladies faced another blow at the hands of Mpata Ladies who defeated them 5-1 to extinguish their chances of making it out of the group before the latter were also given a taste of their own medicine by KJT who edged them 5-4 in the last game of group A on the day.
Last year’s finalists – Nansana Ladies put forward two wins to the board to take charge of group B with six points.
In their first game, they won by a 5-2 scoreline at Makindye Bees who have football stars Hasifah Nassuna, Samalie Nakacwa and Shakira Nyinagahirwa in their ranks. Nassuna and Nakacwa scored for their side but their strikes were not enough as Cissy Nantongo showed up with a hat trick before Justin Najjuko also made her presence felt with a brace.
Nansana Ladies pose for a photo moment before kick off of one of their games
They got the better of debutants Nile Queens in their second fixture to confirm their slot in the semi finals.
Najjuko’s hat trick, Yudaya Nalubega’s brace and a goal from Rebecca Nakasato earned them a 6-1 win, Gloria Mutesi scored the Nile Queens solitary goal in the game.
Gomba Ladies brushed aside Nile Queens 8-3 before they were held to a four all draw by Makindye Bees to sit second in the group with four points.
Hasifah Nassuna leaves her marker crawling
By the end of match day one, Catherine Nagadya of Uganda Martyrs and Shamsa Najjuma of Gomba Ladies were leading the goal scoring chart with seven goals each, and they are followed by Leticia Nakyeyune of KJT and Justin Najjuko of Nansana Ladies with six and five goals respectively.
Uganda Women Football Association (UWFA) chairperson Magret Kubingi and super beach soccer delegate Anthony Tumwesigye attended the opening games.
The festival is scheduled to end on Saturday with four group stage matches before the final.
