MASAKA — Buddu maintained their winning start to the 2026 Buganda Masaza Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Buvuma at Kitovu Sports Arena on Sunday.
The closely contested encounter attracted a large crowd of supporters from both counties as the battle for places in the knockout stage intensified.
Buddu scored the decisive goal in the 28th minute, sparking jubilant celebrations among the home supporters, whose songs, drums and cheers reverberated around the stadium.
The hosts defended resolutely for the remainder of the match to preserve their slender advantage and collect all three points, denying Buvuma an equaliser.
Pokino of Buddu County Jude Muleke hailed the team's determination and said the county's ambition is to win this year's Masaza Cup.
"We are not participating just to make up the numbers. Our goal is to win the trophy, and any team that comes up against Buddu should be prepared for a tough contest," Muleke said.
He also commended Buddu supporters for their discipline throughout the tournament and urged them to continue backing the team peacefully.
Buddu team manager Steven Zziwa said the team is determined to maintain its winning momentum.
"We are focused on winning every match. I call upon all Buddu supporters to turn up in large numbers on Sunday as we host Busujju at Kitovu Sports Arena," Zziwa said.
Head coach Erick Kisuze described the encounter as highly competitive and praised his players for securing an important victory.
"It was a tough game, but the players showed character. We shall go back and improve where necessary so that we score more goals in our next match against Busujju," Kisuze said.
The match winner, who scored the decisive goal, said the team is determined to lift the 2026 Masaza Cup trophy and appealed to supporters to continue rallying behind the players.
"We believe we can win this competition. We ask our supporters to keep believing in us and stand with the team throughout the tournament," he said.
Buddu supporters expressed confidence that the team is on course for a place in the latter stages of the competition, with many believing it has the quality to reach the final at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.
Buvuma head coach, meanwhile, attributed his side's defeat to inexperience, noting that many of his players are featuring in the Masaza Cup for the first time.
"Most of our players are new to this competition and are still gaining experience. Losing away to Buddu is disappointing, but we shall regroup and fight in the next game," he said.
Buddu will host Busujju in their next fixture at Kitovu Sports Arena next Sunday, while Buvuma will take on Kyadondo.
