Buluuli secured their first point of the 2026 Masaza Cup after holding defending champions Buweekula to a 1-1 draw in a Bulange Group fixture played at Kakooge Playground on Sunday.
The result saw Buluuli open their account after five matches, while Buweekula moved to five points from the same number of games as the first round of the competition came to an end.
The hosts looked destined for their maiden victory of the campaign after Kosea Kagga broke the deadlock to send the home supporters into celebration.
But Buweekula rescued a point deep into stoppage time when striker Fred Lopez struck an equaliser to deny Buluuli a famous win.
Buweekula head coach Ibrahim Kyobe admitted his side had fallen short of expectations during the opening round but said they remained firmly in the race for qualification.
"We have completed the first round with five points from five matches. It is not where we wanted to be as defending champions, but the good thing is that we are still in contention. We have identified several weaknesses and we are going to use this one-week break to correct them," Kyobe said.
He revealed that the club plans to reinforce its squad before the second round begins.
"Management has agreed to bring in five new players during this break. We believe they will add quality and competition to the team. Our target is to improve our performances and collect more points in the second round," he added.
Goalscorer Fred Lopez said he was delighted to score the late equaliser that kept Buweekula's qualification hopes alive.
"I am very happy to score for my team, especially at a moment when we needed a goal most. We never gave up and the point is important because it keeps our hopes alive. I thank my teammates and the technical team for believing in us," Lopez said.
Team captain Patrick Kagulire praised the squad's resilience despite a difficult start to their title defence.
"I want to thank all the players for dedicating themselves to the team despite the challenges we have faced. Everyone has continued to work hard and today's result shows that we have character and resilience," Kagulire said.
He expressed confidence that the defending champions would recover in the second round and secure a place in the knockout stage.
"The first round is over, but the competition is still open. We are focused on improving in the second round and I am confident that Buweekula will qualify from the group stages. We ask our fans to continue supporting us," he said.
At the halfway stage of the group phase, Buddu lead the Bulange Group standings with 13 points, followed by Busujju on nine, Buvuma on seven, Kyaddondo on six, Buweekula on five and Buluuli on one.
The second round of the 2026 Masaza Cup resumes on August 1, with Buweekula hosting Buluuli in the return fixture at NTC Playground in Mubende on August 2 in a match expected to have a significant bearing on qualification from the tightly contested group.
