By Our Reporter

Rays of Grace FC secured themselves slots to compete in the Ariel Rising Stars championships when they defeated all the local district teams.

The games started on Friday 2nd August -Sunday 4th August 2019, saw over 16 boys’ teams and 8 girls team all competing. The 3-day event took place at Bukalasa Agricultural Institute Playgrounds.
In the boys’ finals, Grace of Rays’ Mubarak Mitala and Rashid goals inspired the defending champions to retain the Airtel Rising Stars Buganda Region title after defeating Five Stars (Njeru) 2-0.

The 3-day event took place at Bukalasa Agricultural Institute Playgrounds. In the boys’ finals, Grace of Rays’ Mubarak Mitala and Rashid goals inspired the defending champions to retain the Airtel Rising Stars Buganda Region title after defeating Five Stars (Njeru) 2-0.

The girl’s final was full of action as Kayindu Secondary School defeated (4-3) Tagy Girls in the penalties after 1-1 draw in the normal time.

Tagy Girls’ Kamiyat Naigaga, gave them a smart leader in the first half after scoring a beautiful freekick, but it was canceled by Sarah Babirye’s goal of Kayindu SS in the second half.

This year, the Airtel Rising tournament is holding 94 interdistrict championship games in 60 districts with an aim of increasing the talent pool as well as giving schools, teachers, parents, and all football lovers an opportunity to support their local players as they participate in the tournament. From these games, 8 boys and 8 girls teams will be chosen to advance to the finals with the tournament finals played on 7^th September in Kampala Region.

Accolades were as follows,
Main Prizes and Cash rewards
Boys
Champions: Rays of Grace (Main Trophy, Gold Medal and Shs 1.5M)
Runners up: Five Stars (Trophy, Silver Medals and 1M)
Girls
Champions: Kayindu Secondary School (Main Trophy, Gold Medals, and 1.5 M)
Runners up: Tagy Girls (Trophy, Silver Medals and 1M)
Individual accolades
MVP Girls
Sarah Babirye (Kayindu)
MVP Boys
Mubarak Mitala (Rays of Grace)
Top Scorer Girls
Halima Nakampe with 6 goals (Tagy High)
Boys
Mubarak Mitala with 5 goals (Rays of Grace)
Best goalkeeper girls
Saidat Namwanje
Boys
Eliton Ssebowa (Five Stars)
At Sports256 we shall be giving you all the updates of the Airtel Rising Stars 2019

By Our Reporter

The state minister for sports Charles Bakabulindi has revealed that the national broadcaster UBC failed to broadcast the just concluded 2019 Africa Cup of Nation (AFCON) games because it was not aware of the telecasting rights charges.

This comes after the minister was summoned to make a statement a few weeks ago about the funding of national teams whenever they have to represent the country.

Presenting a ministerial statement on the floor of parliament, Bakabulindi says the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Africa Union of Broadcasters (AUB) wanted 750,000 Euros paid upfront for one to acquire the telecasting rights for AFCON and yet UBC had only 600M USD, a fee that was rejected by the AU Broadcasters.

Bakabukindi has now asked the government to increase funding to UBC if it so broadcast such events again.

The Kalungu West Mp Joseph Ssewungu has however demanded a thorough explanation from the ICT and communication Minister Frank Tumwebaze.

History was made on Thursday, 5 January 2017 at the International Conference Centre in Abuja with the coronation of Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez as African Player of the Year 2016 and Ugandan goalie, Denis Onyango as African Player of the Year – Based in Africa 2016.

Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez as African Player of the Year 2016 and Ugandan goalie, Denis Onyango as African Player of the Year – Based in Africa 2016.

Mahrez, 25, becomes the first Algerian and the maiden North African to win the prestigious individual honour in African football since its inception by the Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) in 1992
The playmaker, who played an influential role in the historic Premier League title triumph by English club, Leicester City, last season and Algeria’s qualification to the Total Africa Cup of Nations Gabon 2017, polled 361 votes to emerge winner in the polls.

He thus dethroned last year’s winner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon who garnered 313 votes, whilst Senegalese forward, Sadio Mane placed a distant third with 186 votes.

The winner was decided by votes from the Head Coaches or Technical Directors of the National Associations affiliated to CAF, members of the CAF Media Committee, members of the CAF Technical and Development Committee and a 20-member panel of experts.

For the African Player of the Year – Based in Africa, Onyango also wrote his name in African football folklore, by becoming the first goalkeeper to scoop the award designed to reward players who ply their trade on the continent.

The 31-year old, whose exploits in the posts was critical to Uganda’s qualification to the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time after a 39-year hiatus, and also starred in Mamelodi Sundowns’ conquest of Africa last year tallied 252 votes, 24 more than his club-mate, Khama Billiat of Zimbabwe. Zambian Rainford Kalaba finished third with 206 votes.

Nigeria forward Asisat Oshoala was named Women’s Player of the Year, ahead of Cameroonian Gabrielle Aboudi-Onguene and Ghana’s Elizabeth Addo. It was her second glory after 2014 in Lagos. It was double delight for her as the Super Falcons were adjudged Women’s National Team of the Year following their record extending eighth title at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon in December 2016
There was more to come for Nigeria with striking duo, Kelechi Iheanacho and Alex Iwobi picking up the Most Promising Talent and Youth Player of the Year awards respectively.

Two more awards came the way of Sundowns, in Club of the Year and Head Coach, Pitso Mosimane, going away with the Coach of the Year.

The Cranes historic qualification for the Total Africa Cup of Nations did not go unnoticed and were deservedly reward with the National Team of the Year gong.

Gambian Knight of the whistle, Bakary Papa Gassama also made his own piece of history after being decorated Referee of the Year for the third time in a row.

Following Guinea Bissau’s qualification to the Total Africa Cup of Nations Gabon 2017, their first for a major continental championship, Manuel Lopes Nascimento, President of Guinea Bissau Football Federation was named Football Leader of the Year.

Ivorian goal machine, Laurent Pokou, who passed away last November, was posthumously inducted as an “African Legend” together with Cameroonian Emilienne Mbango, one of the pioneers of women football on the continent. At a time when women’s football was non-existent, Mbango played with the legendary Roger Milla during his days with Leopards Douala in the seventies.

The well-attended ceremony, marking the Silver Jubilee of the inception of the CAF Awards was spiced by musical performances from renowned artistes such as Afro beat musician Femi Kuti, Flavour, Yemi Alade and Omawumi, all from Nigeria; South African group, Muffinz and Diamond Platinumz from Tanzania.