The Pepsi University Football League concludes this Sunday, April 27 at the Muteesa II stadium in Wankulukuku.
Two-time champions, Uganda Martyrs University (UMU) face-off with St Lawrence University (SLAU), who are aiming for their first title in the competition that started in 2012.
However, shall there be a first-time winner this time round, or pedigree will reign supreme upon the final whistle? UMU won this tournament in 2017, when they beat Makerere University Business School.
Yet, more interestingly, their second triumph, which came against SLAU, must give the Nkozi-based university the psychological edge. Sunday’s final will be the third time that SLAU make it that far.
Before losing UMU, which was their last appearance, SLAU had lost the 2019 final to Uganda Christian University. Yet, SLAU will be buoyed by the fact that last year’s winner, Nkumba University, had lost two finals before, in 2013 and in 2016.
So, maybe third-time lucky is the thing. It should be noted that SLAU held their own in the knock-out stages, perhaps a sign of their mental strength this time round. In the semi-finals, they travelled to Mbale and picked up a 1-1 draw against Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), before completing the job in the second leg with a 1-0 victory.
During the group stage games, SLAU won two, lost one and drew two of their five games, hence finishing second behind UCU. For UMU, on the other hand, they were more ruthless, finishing top in group E, with four wins and one draw.
But more significantly, they scored 14 goals and only conceded twice, a mark of how sharp their attack is. At the same time, the solidity of their defence goes without question. In comparison, SLAU appeared to be playing second fiddle.
They scored 10 goals, yet conceded six at the same stage. On paper, UMU, who won their semi-final 2-0 on aggregate against Bugema University, seem overwhelming favourites. But finals can be unpredictable.