Kampala Referees Inter-DFA Tourney: Kawempe Finally Tastes the Joy of a win as Nakawa Ignite Rivalry against Lubaga in Seven-Goal Thriller

By Kayiira Jackson 

The second edition of the Kampala Region Referees Inter-DFA Tournament got off to an exciting start at Wankulukuku Stadium on Tuesday, with Kawempe and Nakawa registering opening-day victories in two entertaining encounters.

Kawempe began their campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win over tournament debutants Kampala Central in the day’s early fixture.

After a closely contested first half failed to produce a breakthrough, Kawempe’s captain stepped up immediately after the restart, capitalizing on Kampala Central’s failure to clear their lines before curling a superb effort beyond goalkeeper Kato Lwalira.

The solitary strike proved enough to hand Kawempe their first victory in seven matches and a perfect start to the competition. Ivan Lubwama’s impressive display earned him the Man of the Match award, sponsored by Bash Collections.

Kampala Central will now turn their attention to their next fixture against Makindye, while Kawempe will seek to maintain their momentum when they face Nakawa next Tuesday at the same venue.

The day’s headline act came in the afternoon clash between defending champions Lubaga and Nakawa, with the latter emerging 4-3 winners in a pulsating seven-goal contest.

Nakawa drew first blood in the 17th minute through Nabongo Abdulkarim’s powerful strike before Kwizera Denis turned provider 11 minutes later, setting up Tukamushaba Simon to double the advantage.

Lubaga responded before halftime when Noel Namiro pounced after Nakawa goalkeeper Muzamiru Ali spilled a save, reducing the deficit to 2-1.

The defending champions completed their comeback seven minutes after the break as a mix-up between Ali and his defenders allowed Bantubalamu Sam to tap home Ozitile Ponsius’ inviting cross and level matters at 2-2.

Nakawa regained control in the 70th minute when substitute Mimu Ssekabira delivered a precise cross for Tukamushaba to head home his second goal of the afternoon. However, Rubaga refused to surrender, with Ozitile firing in an equalizer shortly afterwards to set up a tense finale.

With the match seemingly heading for a draw, Kwizera produced a moment of brilliance, dribbling past three defenders before calmly slotting beyond goalkeeper Juuko Nelson to secure a dramatic 4-3 victory for Nakawa.

The tournament, now in its second edition, was introduced by Kampala Region referees body to help referees maintain fitness during the off-season while strengthening camaraderie and professional relationships among match officials across the region.

The competition is being played in a round-robin format, with the top two teams at the end of the group stage set to meet in the final scheduled for July. Rubaga DFA are the defending champions after winning the inaugural edition.