By John Baptist Opua
Kyoga constituency were crowned champions of the inaugural 2025 Dwog Pacu Cup after beating Lira City West Division 3-0 in a dominant final held on Sunday at the UTC-Lira playground.
Thousands of fans from across the Lango sub-region turned up for the grand finale, packing the grounds in what became a festival of football and community pride. Among the guests were seven Members of Parliament and all Resident District Commissioners from Lango, underscoring the tournament’s regional significance.
Kyoga came into the final unbeaten and maintained that perfect record with a composed performance against a Lira City West side that had edged Erute North 2-1 in the semifinals. Kyoga had earlier secured a narrow 1-0 win over Dokolo North to book their place in the title match.
The final started cautiously, with both teams sizing each other up. But Eling Andrew gave Kyoga the lead in the 26th minute after capitalizing on a defensive lapse.
Denis Eporo doubled the lead on the hour mark, and substitute Dickens Okwir Diara made it 3-0 in the 74th minute, moments after coming on. Despite being reduced to ten men following a red card, Kyoga held firm to seal a convincing victory.
The win earned Kyoga a cash prize of 5 million Ugandan Shillings and the tournament trophy. Runners-up Lira City West walked away with 3 million Shillings and silver medals. Dokolo North finished third, earning 2 million UGX, while Erute North took home 1 million UGX.
The tournament also rewarded standout performers. Lira City West’s Maduka Innocent was named MVP, thanks to his eight assists and two goals.
Kyoga coach Rev Jimmy Max Ajon took home Best Coach honors, while P.7 pupil Moses Otim from Kwania North earned Best Young Player.
Apac Municipality’s Denis Otim won the Top Scorer award with eight goals. Kyoga’s Tyan Lawrenc was Best Goalkeeper, and Imat Lucy from Erute North was crowned Best Fan.
Fair play, group-stage positions, and quarterfinalists were also recognized with cash prizes ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 UGX.
