Hamz Cup: Born Talent Cleared as Kafumbe United and Tororo Boys Join Quarterfinal Bracket
After a careful review of the situation concerning Arsenal Fans UG’s appeal against Born Talent FC Mbuya, the Hamz Cup Organizing Committee has decided to clear the Kampala Regional League club for the quarterfinals.
In the Round of 16, Tony Lwanga scored an extra-time goal to hand Born Talent a 1-0 win over Arsenal Fans UG, but the losing side filed an appeal to the Organizing Committee accusing their opponents of using four ineligible players.
Arsenal Fans UG claimed that midfielder Elkana Nsabuga, Musa Andama, Jordan Ogwal and Farouk Kaigwani, who didn’t even make the team sheet on the day for being ineligible, had all been involved with the team since the first game of the tournament.
The clearance confirms Born Talent FC will join NURMAK Life Team in the quarterfinals, while Kafumbe United and Tororo Boys also joined the last eight on Thursday after winning their Round of 16 fixtures against Shan David’s FC and Namutamba/Ndaiga FC.
At 4:00 PM, Kafumbe United defeated Shan David’s FC 2-1, with David Ovamas scoring twice in the space of two minutes in the 52nd and 54th minutes, before Shan David’s were reduced to 10 men following Hamza Ntangujira’s dismissal for a second bookable offence three minutes later.
Despite being a man down, Shan David’s kept the game end-to-end and eventually the Entebbe-based side found a consolation through Benon Vianney Kigenyi, who converted a penalty won by Abel Kavuma in the 89th minute.
Later in the evening, Tororo Boys won the village derby, capitalizing on James Kiggundu’s second-half extra-time finish to defeat Namutamba/Ndaiga FC from Mityana 1-0 after extra time.
For the entire game, the tall, lanky forward Kiggundu remained lively, with goalkeeper Abubakar Egesa proving to be the main figure in denying the Tororo Boys forward until the right moment arrived to beat the goalkeeper.
After the game, Tororo Boys Captain Vitalis Tabu and Head Coach Steven Olowo both vowed to push for a strong finish and remained optimistic about overcoming any side that comes their way to triumph.
Olowo also rallied the people of Tororo, including the Honorable Speaker of Parliament together with other Honorable Members of Parliament, to come and support the team on its journey. Tabu, meanwhile, expressed his delight at playing on the big stage of the Hamz Cup at Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo War Memorial Grounds.
