The fifth edition of the Tooro Kingdom MTN Amasaza Cup wasted no time delivering drama as defending champions Kyaka County were forced to settle for a thrilling draw on opening day before Kitagwenda County announced themselves as early Group B pace setters with a disciplined away victory. Across the opening weekend, supporters witnessed seven football goals, late drama, penalty heroics and the first shifts in the race for the semi-finals, setting an exciting tone for the weeks ahead.

Kyaka, the defending champions in the Tooro Kingdom MTN Amasaza opener.

Bunyangabu deny champions a winning start

The tournament burst into life on Friday at Humura Church of Uganda Playground in Kyegegwa District with a pulsating 3-3 draw between defending champions Kyaka County and hosts Bunyangabu County in the opening Group A fixture.

Kyaka looked poised to begin their title defence with maximum points after an explosive start. Fred Tumusiime scored the tournament’s first goal before Mugume Habibu doubled the champions’ advantage. Bunyangabu responded before halftime to reduce the deficit to 2-1 and keep themselves firmly in the contest.

The hosts returned for the second half with renewed belief and quickly found an equaliser to level the match at 2-2. Derrick Kakooza restored Kyaka’s lead and appeared to have guided the defending champions to victory, but Bunyangabu refused to surrender. Deep into the second half, Joram Lukwago produced the decisive moment, scoring a dramatic equaliser to rescue a deserved point and deny Kyaka a winning start.

Bunyangabu(white) player taking on Kyaka’s(yellow) defenders in the opening match of the Tooro Kingdom MTN Amasaza tournament.

The result leaves both sides with one point in Group A, while reaffirming Bunyangabu’s credentials as genuine contenders despite facing the tournament holders in the opening fixture.

The opening day also marked the start of the women’s netball competition. Mwenge South defeated Kyaka 38-32 to make an early statement and strengthened their position with a dominant victory over Bunyangabu to emerge as the first county to secure a place in the netball semi-finals from Group A.

Kitagwenda make their statement

Sunday’s spotlight shifted to Buhinga Stadium, where Kitagwenda County produced a composed display to defeat hosts Burahya County 1-0 in the opening Group B encounter.

The visitors made the decisive breakthrough in the first half when Hamis Samiru found the back of the net to score Kitagwenda’s first goal of the 2026 tournament. Burahya were handed an ideal opportunity to respond before halftime after earning a penalty, but goalkeeper Collins Mubagizi emerged as the hero, producing an outstanding save to deny Muhurizi Goodman from the spot.

That moment proved to be the turning point. Kitagwenda defended with discipline throughout the second half, frustrating sustained Burahya pressure to preserve their slender advantage and collect all three points.

Kitagwenda keeper Mubangi was crowned the Man of the Match and wins UGX 200,000 MTN MoMo prize.

Mubagizi’s match-winning penalty save earned him the MTN Man of the Match award and a cash prize of Shs200,000, capping an outstanding individual performance that laid the foundation for Kitagwenda’s winning start.

The victory sends Kitagwenda to the top of Group B and places them in a strong position ahead of their next fixture against Kibale County on July 31, where another win would secure a place in the semi-finals. Burahya, meanwhile, face a must-avoid-defeat trip to Kibale on August 9 to keep their qualification hopes alive.

Weekend Takeaways

The opening weekend highlighted just how competitive this year’s championship promises to be. Defending champions Kyaka showed their attacking quality by scoring three times but were unable to protect their lead, while Bunyangabu demonstrated resilience by fighting back twice to earn a valuable draw.

Kitagwenda delivered the weekend’s most efficient performance, combining clinical finishing with disciplined defending to secure all three points away from home. Goalkeeper Collins Mubagizi’s penalty save stands out as one of the defining moments of the opening round and underlined the importance of decisive individual performances in tight contests.

Kitagwenda (Pink) held their slender lead to claim their first win of the competition, moving top of Group B.

Across the first two football matches, seven goals were scored, one penalty was saved, one MTN Man of the Match award was presented, and two counties ended the weekend unbeaten with momentum already building toward the race for the knockout stages.

Looking AheadAttention now turns to Group C, where Fort Portal County host Mwenge North at Buhinga Stadium on July 24. Fort Portal will be eager to launch their campaign strongly after falling to Kyaka in last season’s final, while Mwenge North will be aiming to make an immediate impact in what promises to be another fiercely contested chapter of the 2026 Tooro Kingdom MTN Amasaza Cup.

Current Football Standings

Looking Ahead

Attention now turns to Group C, where Fort Portal County host Mwenge North at Buhinga Stadium on July 24. Fort Portal will be eager to launch their campaign strongly after falling to Kyaka in last season’s final, while Mwenge North will be aiming to make an immediate impact in what promises to be another fiercely contested chapter of the 2026 Tooro Kingdom MTN Amasaza Cup.