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Kimaanya (red) lost 2-0 to St Mary's Kitende (blue) in the quarter finals of the USSSA boys football championship in Masaka last year. Team has been invited to take part in this year's event
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By Our Reporter
The Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) has extended a special invitation to Blessed Sacrament Kimaanya for this year’s edition of the national boys' football championship, set to kick off at Ngora High School on May 4.
The USSSA's invitation follows Kimaanya’s failure to qualify through the zonal qualifiers, as four of their star players were away on national duty with Uganda’s U17 team, The Cubs, during the AFCON U17 Championship in Morocco. The Cubs made history by becoming the first Ugandan football team to qualify for the FIFA U17 World Cup. Recognizing the exceptional talent within the Kimaanya team, USSSA sent the invitation in a letter signed by CEO Chris Mugisha.
"Your school's consideration for participation is based on the exceptional performance and contribution of your players, four of whom were on national duty during the zonal qualifiers. We recognize this as a significant factor, and we are pleased to offer you an opportunity to compete at the national level," read part of the letter.
Kimaanya (red) lost 2-0 to St Mary's Kitende (blue) in the quarter finals of the USSSA boys football championship in Masaka last year. Team has been invited to take part in this year's competition
Upon receiving the letter on Saturday, the school’s headteacher, Rev. Fr. Nkonge Nswa Kizito, expressed gratitude to USSSA for considering their team for the prestigious event.
"We received the USSSA invitation with great excitement, and we are very grateful to the association for considering our team. The entire school community is thrilled, and the boys are very happy. We are ready to compete in the championship and hope to perform even better than last year," said Rev. Fr. Nkonge Nswa Kizito.
Games teacher James Kibira also expressed his joy after receiving the news of the team’s invitation to the nationals in Ngora.
The four players who made history with The Cubs include striker James Bogere—who scored two goals against The Gambia and was named Man of the Match—defender Elvis Toorach, and midfielders Isma Magara (the 2024 USSSA Boys’ Football MVP in Masaka) and Hamza Ssengooba.
While the Uganda Cubs were celebrating their historic achievement, Kimaanya was dealing with the disappointment of missing out on a slot to the national championships, which was taken by eventual champions Masaka SS, runners-up Notre Dame, and Waggwa High School. However, with this invitation, the Masaka zone will now be represented by four teams.
Last year during the Masaka Championship, Kimaanya played attractive, crowd-pulling football and reached the quarterfinals, where they lost 2-0 to St. Mary’s Kitende.
