Two champions meet: Mbarara University of science meet with Makerere University of Business. They both proved worthy

Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) held two-time champions, Makerere University Business School (MUBS), to a surprising 1-1 draw on Wednesday afternoon at the MUST grounds in Mbarara. Atuhire Emmanuel's long-range strike in the 50th minute gave MUST the lead, but Mbabazi Worrick Joe equalized with a half-

photo credit by Jackson Kayiira volley in the final ten minutes, resulting in the two sides sharing the points. Atuhire capitalized on a mistake by MUBS goalkeeper Ayebare Innocent Hillary, scoring a rebound from the center that sent the home crowd into ecstatic celebrations. In the final 30 minutes, MUBS applied relentless pressure, eventually winning a corner in the 78th minute. A minute later, Mbabazi Worrick Joe leveled the match, finishing off an assist from Joshua Biyinzika to alter the scoreline. MUBS captain Otuke Derrick, disappointed with the draw, acknowledged that his team was responsible for missing out on a victory they had anticipated. "It was a tough match. We can’t blame anyone but ourselves. I think we made too many errors as a team. All we can do now is go back, correct our mistakes, and focus on getting maximum points in the next game,” Otuke remarked. On the other hand, MUST captain Orebe Jacob attributed the draw to his team's inexperience, as they were leading for most of the game before conceding late. “Most of us are first-year students, so we lack experience. We are just transitioning from post-primary competitions, which affected our ability to hold onto the lead. It's unfortunate because conceding late cost us the win, but we’ll work on our defensive issues and grow stronger with time as we prepare for the upcoming matches,” Orebe commented. The draw leaves both MUST and MUBS tied at the top of Group F after their first match, while new entrants Muteesa I Royal University have yet to play. Meanwhile, two-time champions Uganda Martyrs University (UMU) will kick off their 2024/25 campaign against Muni University on Thursday, September 26, in Nkozi at 3 p.m.