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How Airtel Masaza Cup constructed Kitara FC’s aim Machine, Jimmy Kalema – The Panorama Uganda
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David GOMBE
Kalema’s journey from the dusty playgrounds of Kiboga to the nationwide highlight stands as one of many strongest testimonies to the transformative energy of the the Airtel Masaza Cup.
Born and raised in Kiboga by Teopista Birungi and the late Ben Kimuli, Kalema’s soccer expertise manifested at an early age. Curiously, he didn’t start his profession as a striker. Whereas in main college, he joined a soccer academy the place he initially performed as a left again. Nonetheless, considered one of his coaches shortly recognized his attacking instincts and transformed him right into a ahead, a choice that redefined his soccer profession.
Kalema attended St. Andrews Main Faculty in Kiboga earlier than becoming a member of St. Paul Kyamutwe, popularly often called Rock Base. He later accomplished his main schooling at St. Balikuddembe Main Faculty, a government-aided establishment in Kyankwanzi District.
He later joined Kiboga United FC to play within the FUFA Regional League, the place he scored 11 targets whereas nonetheless in Senior Two at Gentle Secondary Faculty and later Vienna Secondary Faculty. His efficiency caught the eye of Buddo Secondary Faculty, the place he joined for S.3 and S.4 underneath the steering of coach Simon Peter Mugerwa.
Whereas Kalema was in Senior Three at Buddo, Mugerwa was appointed head coach of Busiro County for the 2022 Masaza Cup match. Assured in his younger striker’s skill, he included Kalema within the squad, a chance he utilized so properly.
“I checked out this as an enormous alternative, and I set myself a goal of scoring at the very least 4 targets within the match. I surpassed my goal and scored 5 targets, contributing to Busiro’s first Masaza Cup title in 18 years,” Kalema remembers.
Following Busiro’s victory, Kalema moved to Mawokota for the 2023 version of the match. Though issues didn’t go totally as deliberate, the crew managed a third-place end.
The next season, in 2024, he crossed to Buweekula County, the place he scored 4 targets and helped the crew safe one other bronze medal end. His spectacular performances earned him a return to Buweekula for the 2025 version.
Understanding it could probably be his closing look within the Masaza Cup, Kalema determined to depart an unforgettable mark on the match.
On the finish of the competitors, he helped Buweekula win its first Masaza Cup title since 2004, emerged the match’s Most Beneficial Participant, netted 7 targets and gained the Golden Boot.
Whereas Kalema centered on enhancing his ending skill, scouts from Kitara FC had already recognized him as a particular expertise. His tempo, motion, and talent to torment defenders made him not possible to disregard.
Quickly after the ultimate, Kalema signed a two-year contract with Kitara FC. Inside just a few months of becoming a member of the membership, he scored the successful aim in opposition to Sports activities Membership Villa to safe Kitara’s second Stanbic Uganda Cup title in three years.
“I performed my final video games for Buweekula whereas we had been already in talks with Kitara FC. By the point I completed the ultimate in opposition to Ssingo, my contract with Kitara was nearly full,” he says.
Kalema reveals that his resolution to hitch Kitara was largely influenced by the prospect of getting common enjoying time, a chance he says the membership has offered. Regardless of curiosity from different prime golf equipment, together with Categorical FC and URA FC, he believed Kitara supplied the very best atmosphere for his development.
He credit the Masaza Cup for giving him the platform to shine and additional develop his expertise.
“The Masaza Cup has not solely given me a chance to exhibit my expertise, nevertheless it has additionally helped me enhance by way of the steering from coaches and fellow gamers. I strongly imagine the match continues to deliver many younger gamers into the highlight, identical to it did for me,” he says.
Kalema now desires of representing the Uganda Cranes and finally securing knowledgeable transfer overseas. He believes reaching these targets is just a matter of continued onerous work and persistence.
He advises younger footballers to give attention to growing their expertise first if they’re to go far in soccer.”My fellow gamers must work onerous and construct their careers first as a substitute of chasing cash. You will get cash and it will get completed, however with out good efficiency, you can not earn extra of it,” he says.
Kalema’s success story is only one amongst many produced by the Airtel Masaza Cup. Through the years, the competitors has nurtured quite a few gamers who’ve gone on to characteristic in Uganda’s top-flight league, characterize the Uganda Cranes, and safe skilled contracts overseas.
Different notable beneficiaries embody Hassan Mubiru of Butambala, who lately joined Azam FC in Tanzania from Sports activities Membership Villa, Yunus Ssentamu, Nicholas Kabonge, Emma Okwi, and Farouk Miya, who helped Mawokota win the Masaza Cup in 2013 earlier than scoring the historic aim that returned Uganda to the Africa Cup of Nations in 2017 after a 39-year absence.
The Buganda Kingdom Premier, Owek. Charles Peter Mayiga, says expertise improvement is a key precedence in Masaza match, which has given many gamers an opportunity to showcase their talents earlier than happening to fly the nationwide flag. He commends the competitors for empowering youth with priceless alternatives whereas inspiring unity and progress.
“The Masaza Cup affords employment, builds unity and brings in income. It’s a true platform for expertise and transformation,” Mayiga says.
David Birungi, the Supervisor, Communications and Company at Airtel Uganda who’re the premium sponsors for the cup says the corporate’s 13-year sponsorship of the Masaza Cup has yielded important ends in expertise improvement.
“For the years Airtel has supported the Masaza Cup, we’ve got seen many gifted gamers progress to the nationwide crew {and professional} golf equipment overseas. We stay dedicated to investing within the match to proceed producing expertise that contributes to the expansion of Ugandan soccer,” Birungi says.
Launched in 2004 and first gained by Gomba, the Masaza Cup continues to establish and nurture extra younger abilities, empower youth, and promote cultural id and unity in Uganda and past.
For Jimmy Kalema, the Airtel Masaza Cup was greater than only a competitors. It was the stage that remodeled a gifted teen from Kiboga into considered one of Uganda’s brightest rising strikers, a robust reminder of what can occur when uncooked expertise is given the chance to shine.
No side will relish coming up against Calvert-Lewin and this aggressive Leeds outfit at Elland Road this season.
In fact, only Arsenal (52), Manchester City (50), Manchester United (45) and Bournemouth (37) have won more Premier League points in 2026 than Leeds United (35), with the Whites suffering just a single defeat across their past 13 league matches.
Yet Newcastle‘s implosion was remarkable as a young team were bullied and outfought.
Newcastle had previously made a good start under head coach Matthias Jaissle, following so much change in the summer, and were unbeaten in their opening five games in all competitions before this reality check.
But they have faced more shots than any other side in the Premier League.
However clinical Newcastle were in the opening weeks of the campaign, they mustered just eight efforts on target against Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth before their trip to Elland Road.
That was a dangerous cocktail going into this game.
What was most galling, though, was the visitors’ failure to match Leeds‘ bite at a raucous Elland Road.
Jaissle’s side crumbled and conceded three goals in a chastening 14-minute period in the first half.
It was a night the German manager swore in his post-match news conference to illustrate how low he felt.
“I don’t want to point fingers and point any players out tonight,” he said. “We were not matching as a team the level of intensity, the level of duel behaviours, the level of physicality.
“This is something we need to bring on the pitch in every match. This is non-negotiable. It should be the basic fundamentals of football.
“These are young lads. The learning curve needs to be fast.”
For Calvert-Lewin and Leeds, however, this was a night to remember.
Gary Hamilton has been linked with most Irish Premiership vacancies since he left his role at Glenavon in 2023.
Hamilton made 132 appearances and scored 70 goals for the east Belfast side and is already well respected at the club.
The 45-year-old has always had an eye for bringing in and developing younger talent, a skill which would benefit the Glens.
During his almost 12-year spell at the Lurgan Blues, he won the Irish Cup twice in 2014 and 2016, registered four third-place finishes and European football.
Hamilton currently manages Conference League side Ballymacash Rangers, who have won the Steel and Sons for the first time during his tenure.
A manager such as Hamilton, who has secured plenty of silverware during his career, will certainly tick a lot of the boxes that Glentoran would be hoping for in a new manager.
Whereas players in sports like football earn a salary based on a contract with the team that employs them, and athletes in individual sports like tennis and golf can earn a great deal from prize money at major tournaments, athletics competitors rely much more heavily on personal sponsorships and endorsements.
That is because they are paid no direct annual salary, and the only standardised prize money on offer is $50,000 (£37,000) for winning gold in one of the 48 track and field events at the Olympics.
That prize money was only introduced at the 2024 Games in Paris, and is paltry compared to the potential millions in winnings on offer in other major sports.
Some nations – including the USA – also choose to pay athletes who win medals from their own resources, but Britain does not.
Instead, athletes are awarded funding and grants by UK Sport, with the majority of the money coming from the National Lottery.
UK Sport ranks athletes by how likely they are to win medals at major events, and gives more funding to those whose chances it believes are better.
Athletes typically use that funding to pay for training camps, equipment, travel and, in some cases, personal support staff like physiotherapists, nutritionists and chefs.
So why would athletes be instructed to wear national team kit at the Ultimates?
The Ultimate Championship is billed as three fast-paced evenings with a record $10m (£7.4m) prize pot on offer for the biggest stars in athletics.
The condensed schedule and focus on star names is designed to appeal to viewers on television and social media – the latter likely playing a role in the focus on short, sharp bursts of action which can capture attention online.
Most viewers of athletics are used to watching athletes compete while wearing national kit at the Olympics and World Championships. Put simply, the use of a national kit makes it easier for the casual viewer to quickly spot who they should be rooting for and feel invested in the action.
But Kerr’s comments have highlighted the fact that something which may well improve the viewing experience can be felt as a direct financial negative by the athletes themselves.
With the next edition of the Ultimate Championship set to take place in September 2028, shortly after the Olympics in Los Angeles, the battle between brands and country could continue to heat up.
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