Uganda kept their title hopes alive in the Africa Zone 2 Blind Football Championship with a gritty 1-0 victory over Zimbabwe on Tuesday at Hams Stadium, Nakivubo, booking a place in the finals despite a shaky start to the tournament.
After suffering a tough 3-0 defeat to South Sudan in their opening game, the hosts were under pressure to respond — and they did just that with a composed and disciplined display. Captain Rashid Ssemakula led by example, scoring the game’s only goal midway through the first half with a thunderous strike that sent the home crowd into celebration.
Uganda then held firm in the second half, fending off several Zimbabwe attacks as goalkeeper Musa Kasozi made crucial saves to preserve the lead and secure the win that guaranteed their place in the final.
Earlier, South Sudan had established themselves as the early favourites, dominating the group phase with back-to-back victories — first a 3-0 win over Uganda, courtesy of a Yona Sabri brace and a Martin Lado strike, and later a 2-0 triumph over Zimbabwe.
With only three nations — Uganda, South Sudan, and Zimbabwe — taking part following the late withdrawals of South Africa, Kenya, Senegal, and DRC, the round-robin format has left the final finely poised. Uganda will now look to avenge their earlier loss when they face a confident South Sudan side in what promises to be an intense championship decider.
