Muteesa I Royal University carved out a landmark moment in their young campaign, knocking out defending champions Uganda Martyrs University to book a place in the Pepsi University Football League semifinals.
The Masaka-based side needed resilience more than flair at Kirumba Grounds, grinding out a narrow victory that proved decisive over two legs. With the aggregate score tied, it was a second-half penalty that ultimately separated the two teams and tilted the tie in Muteesa’s favour on away goals.
The breakthrough came moments after the restart when pressure inside the UMU penalty area forced a costly mistake from goalkeeper Ashraf Kabugo, who brought down a Muteesa attacker. Ali Lutwama kept his composure from the spot, calmly converting what turned out to be the match-winning goal.
That single strike rewrote the narrative of the tie. UMU, who had carried a 2-1 advantage from the first leg in Nkozi, found themselves undone despite matching Muteesa on aggregate.
For Muteesa, the result signals rapid progress. In just their second season in the competition, they have already surpassed last year’s quarterfinal exit to reach the last four, underlining their growing stature in university football.
UMU’s exit, however, was anything but quiet. The game was laced with controversy, starting with a disallowed first-half goal that drew strong protests from the visitors. Tensions escalated further in the second half as multiple penalty appeals were turned down, leaving players and officials visibly frustrated.
At the final whistle, UMU camp openly questioned the officiating, arguing that key decisions had gone against them in a match that carried high stakes.
Amid the chaos, Muteesa stayed disciplined and focused, doing just enough to see out the result and secure a historic qualification. They now join Kampala University in the semifinals as the race for the title intensifies.
Attention now shifts to the remaining quarterfinal clash, where Ndejje University host St Lawrence University, with the latter holding a slim first-leg advantage.
