At only 23 years, Jimmy Kalema has already built an impressive football CV. The lethal striker for Bunyoro based Kitara FC has won two Masaza Cup titles, a Golden Boot, multiple individual accolades, scored the winning goal that secured Kitara FC’s second Stanbic Uganda Cup title, and many other milestones.
Kalema’s journey from the dusty playgrounds of Kiboga to the national spotlight stands as one of the strongest testimonies to the transformative power of the Airtel Masaza Cup.
While Kalema was in Senior Three at Buddo SSS, he was included in the Busiro county squad for the 2022 Masaza Cup tournament.
“I looked at this as a big opportunity, and I set myself a target of scoring at least four goals in the tournament. I surpassed my target and scored five goals, contributing to Busiro’s first Masaza Cup title in 18 years,” Kalema recalls.
Following Busiro’s victory, Kalema moved to Mawokota for the 2023 edition of the tournament. Although things did not go entirely as planned, the team managed a third-place finish.
In 2024, Kalema crossed to Buweekula County, where he scored four goals and helped the team secure a bronze medal finish. His impressive performances earned him a return to Buweekula for the 2025 edition.
Knowing it would likely be his final appearance in the Masaza Cup, Kalema decided to leave an indelible mark on the tournament. Buweekula won its first Masaza Cup title since 2004. He emerged the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, netting seven goals.
He won the Golden Boot. Soon after the final, Kalema signed a two-year contract with Kitara FC. Within a few months of joining the club, he scored the winning goal against Sports Club Villa to secure Kitara’s second Stanbic Uganda Cup title in three years.
Kalema reveals that his decision to join Kitara was largely influenced by the prospect of getting regular playing time, an opportunity he says the club has provided. It is the reason he turned down overtures from Express FC and URA FC at the time.
But one thing that has not been lost on Kalema, he said, is the fact that the Masaza Cup helped him improve. He advises the younger players, still competing in the Masaza Cup to consider this as a godsend of an opportunity, and always listen to the coaches, while giving their best for their teams every match-day.
He hopes that it can prove to be a stepping stone to greater heights, say, playing for the Uganda Cranes. Kalema’s success story is just one among many produced by the Airtel Masaza Cup.
Other notable stars from the Masaza Cup have included Hassan Mubiru of Butambala, who recently joined Azam FC in Tanzania from Sports Club Villa; Yunus Ssentamu, Nicholas Kabonge, Emma Okwi, and Farouk Miya, who helped Mawokota win the Masaza Cup in 2012, before helping the Uganda Cranes qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2017 after a 39-year absence.