By Our Reporter
Kyaka FC were crowned champions after beating Bunyangabu FC 1-0 in a highly contested finale that was held at the Buhinga Stadium in Fort Portal City.
Kyaka FC’s Richard Mugume scored the only goal of the match in the 20th minute of the game to hand his team the title in the inaugural edition of the Tooro Masaza Tournament.
Kyaka FC has walked away with prize money of Ugx 5million as the title winners. Bunyangabu FC, the runners-up took home Ugx 3 million while the 3rd place and 4th teams walked away with 1.5 million and 0.5 million respectively.
The King of Tooro Kingdom, His Majesty, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV along with the Queen Mother of Tooro, Queen Best Kemigisa attended the match that fell on the eve of the King’s 30th birthday.
A birthday bash complete with fireworks and exciting performances by a lineup of top artists marked the end of the feverish football tournament as the King marked his new age, surrounded by his subjects and well-wishers.
According to King Oyo, this championship match is an apt crescendo of the month-long tournament of spirited matches played amongst the 9 counties of Tooro Kingdom.
“This tournament has generated a lot of excitement in our kingdom and has further brought the people of Tooro together. We thank MTN for organizing and funding this first-ever tournament and we look forward to the next season of this thrilling experience,” King Oyo said.
The Tooro Masaza tournament is part of MTN’s sponsorship package to the Kingdom following a partnership between the Telecom and the Kingdom in an endeavor to uplift the people of Tororo through leveraging sports alongside other social-economic engagements in health and education.
Andrew Tusubira MTN Uganda’s head of commercial services in the western region congratulated all the participants of the tournament. “The real winners of this tournament are the people of this kingdom. Football is not just a game to the people. It sits at the heart of their culture. As MTN we feel very proud to have been part of this tradition together with the people of Tooro. We promise to continue this journey and thank the Kingdom for embracing MTN as a friend and a partner for years to come,” Tusubira said.
The MTN Tooro Masaza Tournament grand finale that doubled as King Oyo’s 30th birthday celebration attracted thousands of people who paid 2,000/=via MTN MoMo and 4,000/= cash.
The money was handed over to the kingdom to support development projects in Tooro Kingdom.