Kawempe Muslim coach Ayub Khalifa was visibly heavily deflated after his side drew 1-1 at home with champions Kampala Queens (KQ) as the 2025/26 Finance Trust Bank Fufa Women Super League (FTBFWSL) got underway on Friday.
Khalifa stayed motionless for a while in front of his bench until his opposite number Firew Asefa Hailegebreal came for the routine post match handshake.
Kawempe toyed with KQ for the entire first half but sometimes the selection of their final pass let them down while the latter’s deep defence also barely gave the hosts’ striker Jovia Nakagolo space to run into.
Twice, new signing Latifah Nakasi and captain Agnes Nabukenya could have found each other at the edge of the box to test new KQ goalkeeper and the former’s teammate at Uganda Martyrs Lubaga Sharon Kaidu but chose to play the ball to the wide options Asia Nakibuuka and Shadia Nabirye.
Nabukenya also tried to test Kaidu from distance with a host of freekicks. She has scored a number of these in various competitions for Kawempe but her shots could not dip early and agonisingly sailed over the bar.
Nakibuuka and Nabirye switched wings all game to find solutions but their crosses were barely effective as Kawempe barely had numbers crashing the box. The switch only counted once when Nakibuuka, on her second debut at the club after returning from KQ, was fouled by Esther Namusoke on Kawempe’s right wing in the 41st minute.
Right-back Samalie Nakacwa delivered a delicate cross from the resulting freekick and it was headed home by Nakibuuka for the opener.
“It is disappointing because we could have won the game in the first half but failed to utilize our chances,” Khalifa said.
“And when we needed to change something in the second half, we could not turn to the bench because we have many injuries. But in subsequent games, the team will be fitter,” he added.
Main captain Shakirah Nyinagahirwa did not even make the bench. Esther Nangendo had returned to school at King’s College Budo while Dorcus Kisakye and Sumaya Nabuto sat on the bench despite being injured and not being involved in pre-match routines. Kawempe had two goalkeepers on the bench in veteran Juliet Adeke and last season’s custodian Josephine Nambuya, who was surprisingly dropped for Saidah Namwanje.
“Both of our young keepers have the talent and are almost at the same level. This season, we will use Saidah more as our first keeper,” Khalifa said.
Effective KQ
KQ relied on its 53rd minute changes to affect the game in the second half. With both fullbacks Namusoke and Catherine Wujja battered by Kawempe’s switches on the flanks, the latter was sacrificed for leftback Jolly Kobusinge, who has also just joined from Kawempe.
Namusoke switched to the right. Such was Kawempe’s shortage that when a tired Nabirye struggled against Kobusinge, leftback Claire Kebirungi had to be deployed as a winger to alternate flanks with Nakibuuka, who was named FTB’s player of the match.
KQ also took off Teddy Najjuma then dropped Catherine Nagadya in midfield from the wings. Substitute Peace Muduwa went to the left wing and gave Nakacwa some problems.
In the 59th minute, KQ got the result of their injection of impetus from a corner delivered by Namusoke. Joanitah Ainembabazi flicked a corner off Nakasi’s head into Muduwa’s path. Muduwa headed goalwards and Kawempe’s goalkeeper Saidah Namwanje, who largely had a good game, dropped the ball in front of her goal-line for Kamiyat Naigaga to score the equalizer.
After that, it was an open game with both teams going direct. However, Kawempe got a grip of it in the latter stages and KQ introduced defender Patience Nabulobi for Ainembabazi, who started as a striker before switching to the right wing where Naigaga had started.
“First games of the season are always difficult and for us, this is an important point to start with,” KQ captain Shakirah Nankwanga said after both sides settled for a draw.
Elsewhere
Meanwhile on Saturday, She Corporate started life under new coach Belyse Ininahazwe with a 4-1 over Uganda Martyrs Lubaga at their new home at Fufa Technical Centre, Njeru.
Jesca Namanda scored in stoppage time of either half. Highly rated Nusulah Nakintu equalized in the 50th minute but Sandra Kisakya, who joined from Uganda Christian University, and Rebecca Nakato scored for the hosts to win comfortably.
In another mouthwatering clash between sides that have created rivalries right from schools’ football, Amus College and newly promoted St. Noa Girls School Zana drew 1-1 in Kachumbala.
Esther Babirye gave the visitors a 20th minute lead but Shayline Opisa celebrated a call up to Kenya’s provisional squad for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) by scoring a deep stoppage time equalizer for Amus.
FTBFWSL RESULTS
Kawempe 1-1 Kampala Queens
Amus College 1-1 St. Noa
She Corporate 4-1 Uganda Martyrs