Uganda men’s national American Football team, The Generals lost 34-22 to their Kenyan counterparts, White Rhinos in the return leg of the 2023 Africa Zone Series held on Sunday at Utali Sports Ground in Nairobi.
The Generals who had lost 00-14 in the first leg held in Kampala in November put on a strong second half performance in their return leg fixture against Kenya, but unfortunately, it was not enough to secure a victory.
Kenya had a dream start to the game to the delight of their fans. In the first quarter, they took the lead with a score of 8-0. Quarterback Edwin Osuma scored the first touchdown and nailed two PAT conversions in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Kenya extended their lead to 14-0 with a touchdown by Running Back Hobson Ndege.
After the White Rhinos dominating against the Generals at halftime, the latter turned around the tide in the other half of the game. Uganda’s right back Ashraf Goloba was named man of the match after putting up a good show. He also touched down in the second half.
Uganda’s other touch downs in the second half came from wide receiver Samuel Kigozi, tight end Richard Ngobi and U.S. based quarterback William Cotter.
Despite a valiant effort by the players, the visiting team fell short in the final score line as Kenya posted 34–22 at full-time. The home team showed great resilience and skill to come out on top in what later turned out to be a closely contested encounter. The Generals can take heart from their performance, which showcased their fighting spirit and determination.
Shudais Mpanga who is Uganda’s coach was proud of the show put up by his side despite facing some challenges prior to the game.
“I reminded them to play with purpose, play harder and play for the flag,” Shudais said adding that; “after halftime, we were confident of overturning the result but we fell short. Overall, the players did a good job I am proud of this team.”
Despite the disappointment of the loss, Uganda will now look forward to their next engagements with renewed confidence and the belief that they can achieve greatness on the field. An away friendly game against Ivory Coast is scheduled for March 2024.
Overall, while the defeat was undoubtedly a blow to The Generals, they can hold their heads high knowing they gave it their all on the field. They will now focus on identifying areas for improvement and working hard to achieve their goals for next year.
