Stanbic Uganda Cup: Kiggundu’s late free kick downs BUL in Hoima as Kitara march into semis
- Ronald Lusulire
- Apr 20
- 2 min read
A stunning late free kick from Arthur Kiggundu was all that separated Kitara FC and BUL FC in a heated Stanbic Uganda Cup quarterfinal clash played at Butema Royal Park in Hoima on Sunday. The defending champions edged past the 2022 winners 1-0 to book their spot in the semifinals.
In a game filled with tension and drama, referee Henry Musisi who recently dished out four red cards in SC Villa’s 2-0 league win over Mbarara City was again at the center of attention, issuing three red cards in a fiery encounter.
The first flashpoint came in the 30th minute when chaos broke out on the pitch. BUL’s Jeromy Kirya shoved Patrick Kaddu to the ground before Kitara’s Titus Ssematimba retaliated by raising his hand into Nicholas Mwere’s face. Both Kirya and Ssematimba were shown straight red cards, reducing both sides to 10 men.
After the break, BUL nearly found the breakthrough when striker Karim Ndugwa rattled the crossbar just three minutes into the second half. However, it was Kitara who found the winner late on with Kiggundu stepping up to curl home a sublime free kick that sent the home fans into wild celebrations.
The drama wasn’t over yet. BUL FC’s Nicholas Mwere, already on a yellow was given his marching orders deep into stoppage time for a second bookable offence, leaving the visitors with nine men.
BUL head coach Abbey Kikomeko cut a frustrated figure at full time as his team once again bowed out at the quarterfinal stage, mirroring their exit from last season.
Kitara now join KCCA FC who eliminated Kaaro Karungi. The remaining quarterfinals will see Vipers SC host SC Villa at Kitende on Monday while Police FC will welcome Kataka FC on Tuesday.
