By John Baptist Opua
St. Mary Magdalene Girls’ Secondary School successfully defended their Lango Zone Girls’ Football Championship title with a narrow 1-0 victory over Adwari S.S. in the 2025 final.
The decisive moment came in the 27th minute when forward Mirriam Ajok struck her fifth goal of the tournament, sealing back-to-back zonal triumphs for her school.
Despite dominating possession, St. Mary Magdalene squandered a golden chance to extend their lead in the second half when goalkeeper Ruth Amongi rattled the woodwork from the penalty spot after an Adwari handball.
Adwari, appearing in their first-ever zonal final, fought valiantly but could not find a breakthrough. Head coach Jacob Elap praised his side’s resilience, noting they conceded only once throughout the tournament. He pledged to regroup for the national championship and appealed for greater investment in girls’ football.
St. Mary Magdalene’s coach Richard Opio credited belief and confidence for the team’s success, stressing the importance of avoiding past mistakes at national level. Ajok, meanwhile, set her sights on breaking into the national team and doubling her tally to 10 goals at the upcoming championship. She urged young girls to embrace football and called for parental support to nurture talent.
Both finalists will represent Lango Zone at the national championship hosted by Seroma High School in May, where St. Mary Magdalene aim to build on their regional dominance and Adwari seek to continue their historic run.
