We secured our spot in the 2025 FUFA Super 8 final after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over URA FC at MTN Omondi Stadium, Lugogo, on Saturday, September 13, 2025. The highly anticipated semifinal heavily physical clash ended goalless after 90 minutes, forcing the match into a tense penalty shootout as dictated by the tournament’s rules.
The turning point came with a late tactical masterstroke by NEC FC head coach Hussein Mbalangu, who substituted goalkeeper Benjamin Ochan for Ssebwalunyo Hannington in the dying moments of regular time. Ochan proved his worth, saving two critical penalties. He first denied URA’s Bwagani with a precise catch, keeping the shootout level after NEC’s Ibrahim Musa had his attempt saved. Ochan then stood firm to thwart Fred Amaku, whose shot sailed over the bar, clinching NEC’s place in the final.
Mbalangu’s Milestone Moment
In his first season at the helm, Mbalangu led us to the first ever Stanbic Uganda final, and has now led us to our second final in three years, cementing his reputation as a tactically astute coach. His technical team and players put up a resilient performance re-echoing, their previous appearance in a semifinal of the Stanbic Uganda Cup. This FUFA Super 8 final, scheduled for Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at FUFA Kadiba Stadium (subject to fixture adjustments), offers Mbalangu a chance to claim his first major silverware with the club.
Penalty Shootout Drama
The lads penalty takers displayed composure under pressure:
– Mustafa Kizza set the tone, striking the opening penalty with precision and experience.
– Warren Buule restored parity after Musa’s miss, calmly converting the second attempt.
– Emmanuel Ajo slotted home the third penalty with confidence.
– Joseph Dhata sealed the victory with NEC’s fourth, though the team had to wait for Amaku’s miss to erupt in celebration.
Match Notes
Substitutes Mustafa Kizza replaced Gideon OOdongo at the restrt of the second half, Allan Mugalu was called onto the pitch to replace the young star Emmanuel Kulanga, Emmanuel Ajo replaced Crowmel Rwothomio with Jarieko James replacing Kavuma Marvin, and Benjamin Ochan lastly replacing Ssebwalunyo; all made significant contributions off the bench, underlining our squad depth.
Looking Ahead
We now turn our focus to the FUFA Super 8 final, where we aim to lift the trophy on September 17, 2025. We shall be finding our who our opponents shall be as BUL FC takes on SC Villa tomorrow.