By John Baptist Opua
Mentor Secondary School successfully defended its title at the USSSA Lango Zone Football Championship with a narrow 1-0 victory over Wisdom High School in the final played at Ambalal Primary School.
The decisive moment came early, with Junior Ebal scoring from a corner just two minutes into the match. Despite high energy and persistent attacks from both sides, no additional goals followed, and Mentor held firm to secure the win.
The match drew a large crowd, including students, parents, and several dignitaries, among them Minister for Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Ochero and Kole South MP Hon. Peter Ocen Akalo.
Mentor Secondary School entered the tournament as both Lira City and Lango Zone defending champions. They advanced to the final after defeating Alemere Comprehensive Secondary School 2-0 in the semifinals at Dr. Obote College.
Wisdom High School’s journey to the final was a story of resilience. After initially falling in the semifinals of the Alebtong District qualifiers to Aculbanya SS, Wisdom joined the zonal tournament as a late replacement for Alebtong Comprehensive Secondary School, which withdrew.
Seizing the second chance, Wisdom won all their group stage matches before eliminating Lira Town College 2-0 in the semifinals.
The final was closely contested, with Wisdom pushing for an equalizer after conceding early. However, Mentor’s defense held strong, ultimately delivering Wisdom their only loss of the tournament.
In the third-place playoff, Lira Town College defeated Alemere Comprehensive Secondary School 2-0.
As zonal representatives, Mentor Secondary School, Wisdom High School, and Lira Town College will now prepare for the USSSA National Championship set to take place next month in Ngora District.
