Stanbic Uganda Cup
Quarter finals draws
Kyetume vs Wakiso Giants
Proline vs Vipers SC
Express vs BUL
Nebbi Central vs Bright Stars
Proline Coach Shafik Bisaso admits that Vipers SC carry the advantage but his side will have no fears when the two sides meet in this season’s Stanbic Uganda Cup quarter final.
The draw that was held on Wednesday at FUFA House, Mengo pitted the FUFA Big league side against reigning premier league champions and Cup favourites at the last eight stage which will be played between March 9-12. “Vipers are a good team and favourite to win the Stanbic Uganda Cup this season.
They play from the premier league whilst we playing in the second tier but we shall not fear them despite respecting them. At times in knockout tournaments, a lower or underrated team surprises a giant and thus meeting Vipers is a good challenge for us to prove our season credentials.
It will be most entertaining fixture of the quarter finals and the winner this season could come from here,” noted Bisaso, who believes that aiming at victory against vipers will not deter them from promotion pursuit. “We are home but we have slender advantage since Vipers also play form artificial turf at Kitende. But the home support will be valuable for us,” he added.
Proline lead the Rwenzori group of FUFA Big league with 29 points after 13 games, two above second placed Kansasi Plascon and four above third placed Kiboga Young. Vipers meanwhile are second on premier league with three points behind leaders KCCA FC. Vipers were held to barren draw by Onduparaka in Arua on Tuesday as KCCA saw their unbeaten home run ended by the 2-1 loss at Lugogo courtesy of Shafik Kagimu brace.
In other draws, Kyetume host Wakiso Giants in a battle of Big league sides. The two sides are in same Elgon group in Big league and the unbeaten Purple Sharks lead with 29 points from 13 games, six points above second placed Kyetume after same games.
Joint record winners Express FC host BUL FC while another Big league side Nebbi Central that is at the bottom of Elgon group hosts Bright Star as they continue with their exciting Cup journey.
Last season winners KCCA FC were ejected by Tooro United at the round of 32 before the latter also fell to Wakiso Giants at the previous round. Former Uganda Cranes legend Ashe Mukasa and Ronald Muganzi, the Head of Agent Banking at Stanbic Bank Uganda conducted the quarterfinal draws.
Mukasa famously known as the ‘football god’ with his left sweet foot is best known for his career at Express FC and the only Ugandan named on the best team during the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations.
He reminisced how the competition was tight at the time that he did not get the chance to lift the Uganda Cup-then called the Kakungulu Cup. “At the time when I played, we had very many good teams like KCC (now KCCA FC), Simba FC, Nsambya Fc, Maroons FC, and Coffee FC.
So it was very hard for any team to win a trophy and I must say not winning this tournament still hurts me,” Said Mukasa who played for Nateete FC, Nakivubo Boys, Express FC among others. Muganzi on the other hand expressed delight about the progress of the tournament and indicated Stanbic Bank will continue to offer their support.
Buganda region will host this year’s finals with the date and venue yet to be confirmed. Like it has been the case in the previous editions where FUFA attaches Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities to the tournament, the same will be done this year with the campaign officially launched by FUFA Events Manager Leila Nankya on the same day.
Nankya called upon the public to embrace the cause by taking items like clothing at FUFA House or Stanbic Bank branches around the country.
