Masaza Cup final 2018
Mandela National Stadium, Namboole
Ssingo 1-1 Buddu
Ssingo wins 12-11 on penalties
Saturday, 27-10-2018
NAMBOOLE – Ssingo required spot kicks to overcome bitter rivals 12-11 on penalties and ensure they win the 2018 Airtel Masaza Cup at Namboole.
In the final played on Saturday 27th of November, both teams were locked at 1-1 after 120 minutes, requiring the spots to determine the winner.
In the Spots, Buddu missed two of its 13 kicks while Ssingo saw only one fail to hit the back of the net, to win their second ever Masaza Cup crown.
Buddu looked to be the better side in the first half but could not break down Ssingo and had to settle for 0-0 at the end of 45 minutes.
Eight minutes into the second half, lanky forward Frank Sebuufu beat an onrushing Ssingo custodian-Derrick Were to break the deadlock and put the 2016 champions 1-0 up.
Ssingo coach, Shafik Bisaso then brought on youngster Godfrey Kakooza for Mansoor Safi, a move that changed the tide of the game.
Kakooza despite being one of the shortest players on the pitch levelled matters with a header from a goal mouth scramble in the 64th minute.
After the two teams fired blanks in the remaining minutes of the game, extra time was for the first time in the competition used to try and determine the winner.
The 30 minutes were pretty much uneventful as both sides looked to be tired and failed to great anything meaningful in front of goal.
The title’s destination was left to be decided by an epic penalty shoot out.
Both Ssingo and Buddu flawlessly converted their first 6 penalties before the first miss.
Goal scorer Kakooza turned villain when he sent his kick above the bar to send the Buddu fans into a frenzy.
Ironically, another goal scorer Frank Sebuufu did the same thing blasting the ball over the goal frame to squander Buddu’s golden chance to win the championship.
The perfect cycle continued until the 13th round of the shoot out. Derrick Were scored his penalty to put Ssingo 12-11 up but Buddu’s Steven Sebuffu Dube put the ball over the bar.
Dube’s miss meant that Ssingo had won their second ever championship following their first triumph in 2015.
For Buddu, they will go back hurting after losing to Ssingo in yet another final. Ssingo also beat them 5-0 in the 2015 finals.
In the third place game played earlier, Busujju clinched third place after defeating Buwekula 1-0.
Ssingo’s Jude Semugabi emerged the tournament’s top scorer with 8 goals.
Buddu’s Owen Kasule was voted and the Most Valuable Player with Busujju’s Sharif Magoola took home the best goalkeeper’s gong.
The Masaza Cup past winners:
2004- Gomba
2005- Mawokota
2006- Kooki
2007- Mawokota
2008- Kyaddondo
2009- Gomba
2010- Not held
2011- Bululi
2012- Bulemeezi
2013- Mawokota
2014- Gomba
2015- Ssingo
2016- Buddu
2017- Gomba
2018- Ssingo
