By Wabomba Ronnie
MBALE CITY
Bugisu Province’s struggles in the 2025 FUFA Drum Tournament continued after falling 1-0 to West Nile Province in their second group-stage match at the Green Light Stadium in Arua on Sunday, September 7, 2025.
Sadat Anaku netted the decisive goal in the 25th minute, converting a precise assist from Rashid Kawawa. Anaku’s outstanding performance earned him the Man of the Match award.
Despite fielding a squad composed entirely of current and former players from FUFA Big League side Kataka FC, Bugisu put up a spirited fight. However, they were without several of their star players who had represented the province in past editions, including Milton Karisa (Vipers SC captain), Abdu Karim Watambala (Vipers SC), Nicholas Wakiro Wadada (Vipers SC), Arafat Usama Kizza (KCCA FC), Gideon Odongo (NEC FC), and Haruna Lukwago (KCCA FC), all of whom were absent for undisclosed reasons.
This defeat follows Bugisu’s 1-0 home loss to Acholi Province at Mbale Stadium on Saturday, August 30, 2025. They now sit at the bottom of Group A, which consists of Acholi and West Nile.
Elsewhere in the FUFA Drum over the weekend, Bunyoro Province defeated Busoga Province 2-1 on Sunday, with Karim Ndugwa scoring twice for Bunyoro while Sowedi Lwenda netted Busoga’s consolation. On Saturday, Lango Province drew 0-0 with Buganda Province, while Tooro Province secured a 1-0 away win against Kampala Province courtesy of Joseph Semujju’s goal.
Since its inception, the FUFA Drum has seen various champions, with Buganda claiming the inaugural title, followed by Acholi and West Nile, before Lango’s victory last year. More than just a football tournament, the FUFA Drum is a celebration of culture and identity, uniting communities from 16 provinces under the theme “Celebrating Our Ancestry.”
