For a while now, Wananchi Sports Club women’s side have condemned other teams to a bride’s maid role across different women’s competitions in the local hockey arena, with Deliverance Church Uganda (DCU) Sports Club being one of their victims.
This year alone, Wananchi and DCU have met thrice in different competitions with the former winning twice but scores were even in their latest encounter.
Wananchi beat DCU to win the inaugural Memorial Shield tournament held in March at Lugogo. The two sides met again in the final of the Easter Cup in April and the former triumphed at the same venue. Their latest encounter was in the national hockey league last weekend and they settled for a 1-all stalemate.
DCU coach-player Sharon Oroma says that her side is ready to break their three-year trophy duck this season with three titles at their disposal, that is; National League, Uganda Cup and Independence Cup. The side won’t be participating in next month’s Weatherhead Open due to ‘personal reasons.’
“Wananchi are our biggest opponents & they have really disturbed us. If we manage to contain them in the league and other tournament(s) this season I believe we shall get a trophy or two,” Oroma said adding that they’re putting in the work in training sessions to come atop the rest of the sides in the near future.
“In the recent past we have improved a lot and I believe we will only get much better. I believe if we keep on improving we shall start winning trophies and end Wananchi’s dominance,” Oroma added.
DCU are however non complacent of other teams but believe that they don’t pose a big threat like Wananchi, a side that has swept all local accolades at their disposal in the post lockdown era.
DCU who last won a trophy in 2019 (Independence Cup) lead the women’s division of the 2022 national hockey league with 13 points off 4 wins and 1 draw (5 games), three points ahead of Wananchi who have also played the same number of games. There are seven teams in the division.
DCU face Kampala H.C Swans next weekend in their final game of the first round of the season. Oroma says the ladies in blue are going for maximum points.
“We’re determined to win the league this season. We’re tired of being number two. Therefore we’re aiming to win our game against Kampala,” Oroma said ahead of their last game of the opening round adding that they need to head into the second/final round of the campaign with a winning script.
The two sides last met a few weeks ago in the quarter finals of the Easter Cup, DCU beat Kampala 2-1 and went up to the finals where they lost to Wananchi.
However, DCU aim to pick another win over Kampala and other believes their consistency in training sessions will yield fruits.
“Our training sessions are consistent, we do train on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at Lugogo. We have two sessions in a day (morning and evening) and players pick the time they’re comfortable with depending on various factors like work and other engagements. Every session has someone in charge,” Oroma noted.
In the league, albeit leading the table, DCU have an inferior goal difference than second placed Wananchi. However, the former aim to get more lethal in front of the goal.
In their attempts to dethrone Wananchi as the most consistent and triumphant side in the women’s arena, every game for DCU counts but the former are aware of their closest challenger.
