Pure Joy: Young Emilie Boutroue (C) is helped by Aliguma Foundation CEO Ritah Aliguma to hand over the winners trophy to men's champions Tiger FC at Acholi Quarters Playground.
RESULTS – 2021-2022 SLUMS SOCCER TOURNEY
Final - Men
Tiger FC 2-0 Kawenja
Final – Women
Acholi Quarters I 3-0 Women of Purpose
Final – U-16 Boys
Women of Purpose Boys 2-0 Tiger Junior FC
Curtain Raiser
AQ Leaders 1-1 Ababedde (Big Boys)
AQ Leaders won 5-2 on post-match penalties
Perfect days are hard to come by in life but for Acholi Quarters and its neighbouring slums, Saturday January 15th 2022, could as well pass for a more than memorable day.
A morning that was blessed by the rains saw the sun pierce out of the clouds in style to stage the set for the afternoon kickoff.
Full Stretch: Nakawa Slum-based Kawenja FC players double-team Tiger FC's striker Sadat Anaku. Anaku proved unstoppable by scoring the winner for his team.
Day of reckoning
Acholi Quarters-based Tiger FC were the overall winners with a second successive title after a hard-earned 2-0 triumph over Nakawa Slum’s Kawenja FC.
But the tempo of the day had been set by Acholi Quarters Leaders, who edged Ababedde alias Big Boys, 5-2 in the post-match penalties after both teams had played out a 1-1 stalemate in the exciting curtain raiser, well improvised by event organiser – Ismail Mukoiko, the L.C III Councillor of Banda Zone B1.
The first-ever U-16 Boys final was a sight of raw talents rubbing shoulders and it was the Women of Purpose (WOP) Boys that outlasted ‘unlucky’ Tiger Junior FC 2-0 whereas the maiden women’s title was scooped by the more physical Acholi Quarters I, who overwhelmed WOP 3-0 in a heavily-cheered encounter.
Ready To Feast: Acholi Quarter I celebrate after receiving their prize - a goat - from Member of Parliament Nakawa East Joel Ssenyonyi, who was flanked by several other politicians.
That set the platform for the all-important men’s final that had the playground, which recently got a face-lift courtesy of Aliguma Foundation’s primary partners UEFA Foundation for Children through its Sports and Resilience Empowerment Project , packed to the rafters.
Sealing it quick
Darling of the crowds; Sam Mugyenyi and renowned marksman Sadat Anaku, who plays in the Uganda Premier League, struck early in the first half to give Tiger FC an early lead which they held onto to subject hard-battling Kawenja to defeat and force the home crowd into ecstatic celebrations as the curtains came down on a 45-day long tournament that attracted 46 teams.
Ecstatic Celebrations: Tiger FC fans storm the pitch to celebrate with their striker Sadat Anaku's goal that made it 2-0 and forthwith sealed victory for the Acholi Quarters-based team.
Focus on Girl-Child
Emilie Boutroue, the daughter of Joel Boutroue – the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative – handed over the glittering trophy to the overjoyed Tiger FC players, as a sign of the Aliguma Foundation’s continued promotion of the ‘Ndi Mwana – The Cry of a Girl-Child’ campaign that was initiated on May 29th 2021.
The ever-growing initiative is aimed at the protection of the Girl-Child not only among the residents of the Acholi Quarters slum settlement in Banda, Nakawa Division but also countrywide as justified by the foundation’s recent activities in Soroti, Mukono Bussi Island, Kiganda and Masindi among others. The aim is to avail pads and teach at least one million girls and mothers how to make reusable pads by the end of this year.
Calm Before Storm: CEO Ritah Aliguma leads the host of dignitaries including UNHCR Representative Joel Boutroue and NCS boss Dr Don Rukare (black cap) to inspect the men's teams before the final.
“Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, we have been able to successfully run this edition of the Slums Soccer tournament which has turned out to be bigger than the previous one,” said Ritah Aliguma, the Aliguma Foundation CEO.
”Our motivation was our ‘Ndi Mwana – The Cry of a Girl Child’ campaign which enlightened us. We’re full of belief that the tourney has given hope to the ’Girl Child’ that they can also overcome all their troubles and co-exist without being taken for granted in this world. We are thankful to our partners UEFA and are overwhelmed by their support. We pledge to deliver an even better tournament next year.”
Tango. Action between Women of Purpose (light green) and Acholi Quarters Women in the first-ever finals of the female category in the history of the Annual Slums Soccer Tournament.
Worth prizes & dignitaries
The champions, Tiger, will also feast on a bull whereas the other two winners Boys U-16 and Acholi Quarters I (women) won a goat each alongside a set of jerseys, two UEFA Foundation soccer balls, medals, certificates and sanitary pads to support their sisters alongside undisclosed cash prizes.
The memorable day was graced by a galaxy of elite dignitaries including Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) and National Council of Sports (NCS) top honcho Dr Don Rukare, State Minister for Kampala Hon. Kabuye Kyofatogabye, MP Nakawa East Joel Ssenyonyi and MP Nakawa West Ronald Balimwezo amongst no less than 15 other politicians from the ruling party National Resistance Movement (NRM) and its opposition National Unity Platform (NUP).
The Beautiful Game: The young children used the intervals to have a passionate kick-about.
The Acholi Quarters community has seen a transformation in football following the Aliguma Foundation partnership with them over the last six years.
Under the partnership, a number of pupils in the community have won themselves study scholarships and bursaries following Slum Soccer tournaments organised by the Foundation.
The less-privileged have also been able to access better football equipment including jerseys, boots and balls among other basic life necessities.
The Acholi Quarters playground is also nicely shaping into a better social amenity for all thanks to the foundation and UEFA.
Roll of Champions
2022: Tiger FC
2021: Tiger FC
2020: Luigi Slum
2019: Luigi Slum
2018: Kiganda Slum
2017: Kawenja Slum