Africa-Press – Uganda. West Nile and Lango fans threw all their January economic worries to wind for a moment to catch a glimpse of the end to end nerve-wracking Fufa Drum tournament final second leg played at the Akibua Stadium-Lira on Sunday.
Despite West Nile carrying a 2-0 unassailable cushion from the first leg a week earlier, the emotions and hope remained high amongst the ecstatic Lango fans that a mini miracle was in the offing.
Indeed it was on the way after Dickens Okwir gave the hosts the lead on 11 minutes and URA winger Joachim Ojera added the second on 38 minutes.
The packed stadium was blared with a pandemonium as the scoreboard read 2-2 on aggregate and the trophy was now anyone’s to win.
West Nile and Arua Hill defender, Rashid Toha, who along with Fred Amaku scored in the first leg, had other ideas, hitting one back for the visitors for the match to end 2-1 and thus gain a 3-2 aggregate win.
“It (trophy) has come home to West Nile.
Proud to have scored two goals in the two finals. Thank you Allah and the fans, ” he revealed.
The ghosts of losing the 2018 final to Buganda had been exorcised with Bosco Dudu’s side playing scintillating and commanding football.They lived to the pre-tournament billing as hot title favourites.
Dudu maintained the same squad that had done wonders at the Green Light Stadium and his team made up for a sloppy start to regain their composure and finish the game on a high.
Needless to add, West Nile dominated the Fufa Drum tournament best XI, with goalkeeper Nafian Alionzi, left-back Rashid Okocha, centre-back Rashid Toha and forward Ibrahim Dada who netted four goals getting plaques on top of one million shillings each.
The others on the team are Fred Agandu (Acholi), Benjamin Nyakoojo (Tooro), Ben Ocen (Teso), Denis Omedi (Lango) , Allan Okello (Lango) and Viane Ssekajugo (Buganda).
West Nile raked in Shs30m on top of the trophy while runners up Lango will smile to the bank for Shs15m.
Drum beat fruits
The Fufa Drum theme of ‘celebrating our ancestry’ comes to life if you attend West Nile, Lango, Bugisu and Acholi matches. Culture and sports tourism, with a mixture of political lobbying was at show in Lira on Sunday.
Almost all the political opinion leaders in Lango, led by chief guest Hamson Obua, the government chief whip, attended the grand finale.
Yet for Fred Muhumuza, the youthful coach that dragged Tooro province to the semis, it was an opportune moment that earned him the assistant coach role at league side URA last week.
For players like Okello, Dada, Amaku, Ojera and Muhammad Shaban, it has been the springboard for a finer performance at their respective clubs.
Lango’s Omedi, crowned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament, is currently on the radar of many StarTimes Uganda Premier League clubs and should be soon kissing Fufa Big League tier goodbye.
Fufa Drum
Final, results
First leg
West Nile 2-0 Lango
Return leg
Lango 2-1 West Nile
*West Nile win on 3-2 aggregate
Past winners
2018; Buganda Province
2019; Acholi Province
2020; Not held due to Covid19
2021; Not held due to Covid19
2022; West Nile Province
Awards
Champions; West Nile
Runners up; Lango
MVP; Denis Omedi (Lango)
Golden glove; Nafian Alionzi (West Nile)
Best coach; Fred Muhumuza
Best XI; Nafian Alionzi (West Nile), Rashid Okocha (West Nile), Rashid Toha (West Nile), Ibrahim Dada (West Nile), Fred Agandu (Acholi), Benjamin Nyakoojo (Tooro), Ben Ocen (Teso), Denis Omedi (Lango) , Allan Okello (Lango) and Viane Ssekajugo (Buganda)
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