After their 3-0 derby win over Asubo Ladies in the Finance Trust Bank Fufa Women Super League (FTBFWSL), Kawempe Muslim players met their new benefactor and president of Vipers Lawrence Mulindwa.
Kawempe and Vipers entered into a partnership ahead of the 2025/26 season to fulfill a club licensing requirement that requires top flight sides in both the men’s and women’s categories to have a team of the opposite gender.
The partnership, according to Kawempe coach Ayub Khalifa, sees Vipers support Kawempe with the players that not based in the school (Kawempe Muslim SS) and also allows them to play at St. Mary’s Stadium Kitende whenever they can.
Such an opportunity arose this past Saturday with Kawempe hosting Asubo on the same day Vipers were hosting SC Villa in the men’s Uganda Premier League.
Kawempe dominated against their fellow but somewhat disorganized Kawempe division side. Asubo arrived in Kitende with about 30 minutes to kick-off and were stopped by the match officials from warming up as the game was live on televsion and also a strict schedule needed to be kept to allow for the UPL clash later.
However, like most derbies it was not an easy affair. Coach Jessy Lukoki’s Asubo fought hard to stay in the game in the first half despite conceding in the second minute to Agnes Nabukenya’s freekick.
But the sustained pressure from Kawempe paid off in the second half. A 75th team move, involving Krusum Namutebi switching the ball to Nabukenya to exchange passes with Latifah Nakasi before laying it on the plate for Dorcus Kisakye, brought the second goal. Then Asia Nakibuuka made it 3-0 two minutes later to push Kawempe to 25 points in nine matches and Asubo bottom on four points.
The promise
“I have been longing to meet you all but I did not know you play this well,” Mulindwa told the players and officials at an early dinner between the games.
“I have followed this team for quite some time, especially through him (Khalifa) and the headteachers Hajj (Ibrahim) Matovu and (Bruhane) Mugerwa plus now Hajjati (Zulaika Kibirige) and I am impressed with the consistency.
“Kawempe must have started girls’ football in the early 2000s and they have outlived everyone that tried including us at St. Mary’s College Kitende. We have been attending the National Post Primaries together and you have always had two strong teams in boys and girls’ football.
“If you talk about women’s football and you do not talk about Kawempe, you would be a ‘zonto’. We have never been at loggerheads and we have both contributed to the growth of football in the country.
“That is why when we looked for a team to partner with, we came to you. We have the same ambitions. We treasure this marriage and hope we will have it for long,” Mulindwa, who was flanked by his daughter Claire plus Vipers’ chief executive officer Simon Njuba, said.
He rewarded the team with Shs2m “for entertaining us this afternoon” and told them “win the league and you will fail to carry the money.”
She Corporate beat KQ
Good omen followed Kawempe through the weekend as their main rivals Kampala Queens lost 3-2 at home to another rival She Corporate at MTN Omondi Stadium, Lugogo on Sunday. For four seasons, KQ had not lost to any other team other than Kawempe and now they have lost to two different teams back to back.
Jesca Namanda scored a second half brace, including a penalty won off KQ keeper Gloria Namugerwa by Rebecca Nakato, within five minutes of the restart to put the visitors 2-0 up. But Marrion Amangat pulled one back for the hosts in the 67th minute. However, Namanda immediately responded by completing a hattrick in the 70th minute.
Catherine Nagadya scored in the 77th minute to ignite a late rally by KQ but they were let down by poor finishing as they fell eight points behind Kawempe and three behind She Corporate. Nothing much changed elsewhere on the 12-team table as the other four matches produced stalemates.
FTBFWSL RESULTS
Kawempe Muslim 3-0 Asubo
Makerere University 1-1 Lady Doves
Rines SS 1-1 Amus College
Olila HS 1-1 She Maroons
Kampala Queens 2-3 She Corporate
St. Noa Girls0-0 Uganda Martyrs
FTBFWSL TABLE
Kawempe Muslim 9 8 1 0 17 4 25
She Corporate 9 6 2 1 15 6 20
Kampala Queens 9 5 2 2 20 10 17
St. Noa Girls 9 3 4 2 14 9 13
Amus College 9 3 4 2 13 9 13
She Maroons 9 3 3 3 11 8 12
Rines SS 9 2 5 2 7 10 11
Uganda Martyrs 9 2 3 4 9 12 9
Lady Doves 9 1 4 4 9 12 7
Makerere University 9 1 4 4 7 12 7
Olila HS 9 0 4 5 4 17 4
Asubo 9 0 4 5 5 22 4