Reigning East African champions St. Mary’s Boarding Secondary School, Kitende, and Uganda’s national champions, Amus College School, will face off in the highly anticipated final of the 2024 Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) Games in the boys’ football category.
The match, set for today, Monday, August 26 at 11 AM at Amus College Stadium in Bukedea, will be a rematch fraught with stakes of revenge and glory.
Kitende, who are the 15-time East Africa champions, secured their place in the final with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Kenya’s Musingu High School in a tense semi-final clash played yesterday at Mbale City Stadium.
Farouq Tumwesigye’s decisive strike in the 68th minute was enough to propel the record-holding champions into their second consecutive FEASSA final.
On the other side, Amus College School, who are co-hosting the tournament with Bukedea Comprehensive, dominated their semi-final encounter against their local rivals with a commanding 2-0 win.
Goals from Davis Busulwa and Ijosiga Mudasir sealed the victory after Bukedea were reduced to ten men following an early red card to Emmanuel Mubiru.
The Kitende-Amus final brings with it a storyline of intense rivalry.
Both teams have been on a collision course since last year’s FEASSA Games in Huye, Rwanda, where Kitende triumphed over Amus in a nail-biting final decided by penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal time.
Kitende’s 4-2 penalty shootout victory earned them the East African crown, leaving Amus College with unfinished business.
Earlier this year, the rivalry intensified during the Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) National Boys’ Football Championship in Masaka.
Amus College stunned the then-defending champions Kitende, who had won the title for three consecutive years, in a dramatic semi-final, winning 10-9 in a penalty shootout after a goalless draw.
Amus went on to clinch this year’s national title, fueling the anticipation for this year’s FEASSA final.
Before that, St. Mary’s Kitende had beaten Amus College 5-3 in the final to win the 2023 National Football Championship in Fort Portal.
Kitende will be eyeing to revenge against this year’s USSSA semi-final loss to Amus, while the latter will be seeking to avenge last year’s FEASSA final loss to Kitende.
Kitende will also be looking forward to a record-extending 16th East African title, while Amus College is driven by hunger and desire to cement their status as the region’s top footballing school.
The final promises to be a battle of tactics, skill, and nerves, with both teams determined to emerge victorious.
In the third-place playoff, Bukedea Comprehensive will take on Kenya’s Musingu High School, hoping to salvage some pride after their semi-final exits.
