St. Mary’s Boarding Secondary School Kitende has officially advanced to the final of the 2025 USSSA Boys’ National Football Championship.
This is after the tournament’s local organising committee confirmed the disqualification of Jinja Progressive Academy (JIPRA) following crowd trouble during their abandoned semifinal clash.
The high-stakes match between Kitende and JIPRA was called off in the 39th minute on Tuesday after chaos erupted in the wake of a controversial offside decision.
Kitende had taken an early lead through a Dennis Kisiriko penalty in the third minute, before JIPRA thought they had equalised midway through the first half.
However, the goal was immediately ruled out by the assistant referee for offside; a decision that triggered an invasion by JIPRA’s technical staff and incensed fans.
The assistant referee, fearing for his safety, sprinted towards the centre of the Ngora High School playground as agitated supporters breached the perimeter.
Police responded swiftly to escort the match officials off the pitch, bringing the game to a premature and chaotic end.
After reviewing the events, the organising committee declared JIPRA disqualified for breaching tournament discipline and safety regulations.
As a result, St. Mary’s Kitende will now meet Buddo Secondary School in an all-Wakiso District final set for Wednesday.
The matchup rekindles a fierce regional rivalry, with Kitende having triumphed 2-0 over Buddo in last month’s Wakiso Zone final at Kabaka Kyabaggu Stadium.
Buddo secured their place in the final after a tense semifinal victory over Bukedea Comprehensive School, prevailing 5-4 on penalties following a goalless draw in regulation time.
This marks Buddo’s return to the national final stage for the first time since 2018.
