Manager Alex Isabirye speaking to players during training
BUL Football Club set up a date with Vipers SC for Sunday’s Stanbic Uganda Cup final after knocking out Express on Thursday afternoon.
The Eastern Giants will be playing their first major final in history and they are keen to win the cup.
While addressing members of the sports media during FUFA’s special press conference at their headquarters on Friday morning, Alex Isabirye is confident his guard will complete the task at hand.
Manager Alex Isabirye said; “My team is very ready waiting to play the final,” .
“I have confidence in my players; we shall win the trophy.”
The team has only two days to rest as well as working out a plan to defang the opponents but Isabirye has discarded fears of fatigue and promised nothing short of victory.
“My opponent has had enough time to rest and even monitor our team play but that will not worry me at all.”
“Finals are won not played, so we are going to win the game on Sunday.”
“If we can beat the regional champion Express FC, what about tiring Vipers!” Isabirye wondered
The Eastern Giants camp has been beefed up by the return of team captain Walter Ochora and forward Hamis Tibita.
Endowed Simon Peter Oketch and anchorman Richard Wandyaka will also join the fight on Sunday after sitting out of the Thursday fixture due to suspension.
Players and officials celebrate after final whistle
Owen Mukisa scores solitary vital goal for BUL to storm final
This is BUL’s first competitive final in history
On a Thursday evening, BUL Football Club found itself in a place it had never been before in our 14 years of existence.
With an underdog tag hanging in the necks, the Eastern Giants sent shock waves across the nation with a 1-0 beating of Uganda Premier League and CECAFA Cup champions – Express FC to secure a spot in the Stanbic Uganda Cup final for the first time.
Owen Mukisa, the 18year old jewel from the junior team netted that all precious goal twenty six minutes off the clock.
Owen Mukisa speaking to press during post match conference
“I am excited I scored the goal that took us to the final,” the teenager said.
BUL took to the field with four graduates from the junior team and had only one substitute on the bench after a huge layoff of many senior players from the previous season.
“I am happy we have marched on to the final for the first time.”
“The players played for the team and they did it in the most fashionable way,” team manager Alex Isabirye said after the important victory.
Manager Alex Isabirye
The Eastern Giants will now face Vipers SC in the final on Sunday and if BUL FC beat the Venoms, one of our major targets of winning a silverware would be complete.
In our early assaults on the Uganda Cup, we struggled to get beyond the round of 16 and when we eventually did, we got eliminated by SC Villa at the semi-final stage in 2015.
There was also a shocking exit to regional league team Mvara Boys in 2019 at the round of 32.
But ‘this season,’ it has been a different story. the Eastern Giants have registered six wins from seven matches in this competition, with the sole loss coming against Proline in the return leg of the semi-final.
Mukisa put up man of the match perfomance
BUL posted resounding victories off Blacks Power, Kigezi Home Boys, Proline and now Express to storm the historic ultimate stage of Uganda Cup.
And has now become the first indigenous team from Eastern region to reach the final of this competition in 22 years.
Starting XI: Sanon Mulabi 23, Allan Kigundu 27, Fredson Gwoto 04, Godfrey Akol 06, Aggrey Madoi 03, Ibrahim Mugulusi 08, Owen Mukisa 10, Thomas Kabaale 21, Martin Aprem 24, Musa Esenu 20, Joseph Semujju 32,
Substations: Ambrose Kirya 11
OUR JOURNEY TO FINALS
First Leg Round of 32 | April 5, 2021
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FT: Blacks Power FC 0-2 BUL FC | Simon Peter Oketch and Deogracious Ojok
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Second leg |
FT: BUL FC 3-1 Blacks Power (Agg: 5-1) | Semujju, Simon Peter Oketch and Robert Mukongotya | Siwu
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Round of 16 – first leg | May 5,
BUL FC 2-1 Kigezi Home Boys | Richard Wandyaka and Musa Esenu | Denis Lubowa
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Round of 16, second leg | May 25,
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Kigezi Home Boys 1-2 BUL FC | Musa Esenu and Mukisa Owen
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Quarter finals | First Leg | May 30
Proline 0-2 BUL FC | Vitalis Tabu and Joseph Semujju
Ambrose Kirya is looking forward to make his club debut
Date: Thursday Sept. 23
Venue: Fufa Technical Center
Time: 3:30PM (EAT)
Match Officials
Center Referee – Asaduh Ssemeere
Ass. Referee 1 – Dick Okello
Ass. Referee 2 – Jane Mutonyi
4th Official. – Rajab Bakasambe
Referee Assessor – Ali Tomusange
Youngster Owen Mukisa is among those to play
BUL Football Club face Express FC this Thursday afternoon in the Uganda Cup semi-final at FUFA Technical Center in Njeru.
The “Eastern Giants” will be aiming to make history as they seek to reach their first final of a major tournament having fallen to SC Villa in 2015 at the very stage of the same competition.
BUL made it to the last-four after a 2-1 aggregate win over Proline in the quarters.
Should they (Alex’s side) defeat the Red Eagles in this one-off tie, the victory will ensure a place in the final against Vipers SC that beat helpless Police fc 2-0
Akol among the senior players to feature
Team News:
In terms of team news, most players who were instrumental in the team’s fantastic run in this competition were released at the end of last season.
However, team manager Alex Isabirye will assemble the appropriate players available and plan accordingly for the big occasion.
“About 70% of the players who played for us last season were released, not because they were not good but because some were out of contract while some had unlikeable characters,” Isabirye said after the last training.
“We are supposed to use players that have licenses for last season, therefore, we have no chance to deploy our new players. We shall now use a mix of young players from the junior team and a few seniors available, ” he revealed.
The team will be dominated by juveniles with little experience of topflight football but Isabirye is confident his lads will deliver.
“We are going to face a good team with a good set of coaches. They are the league champions, recently won CECAFA Kagame Cup, and they have been playing at the continent.”
“However, my young players are eager to play. They will put up a good show and I believe we shall win the game.”
Form Guide
The Eastern Giants head into this one on the back of four wins from our last five competitive fixtures in all competitions and we have lost only once in Uganda Cup, a 0-1 defeat to Proline in the second leg of the quarter finals. We extended our excellent form to preseason friendlies. BUL FC has won eight matches and lost two in twelve pre-season outings.
Meanwhile, Express have won five from seven matches in all competitions, but lost 0-1 to Al Merreikh in their immediate last game.
How can I follow the game?
The match will be broadcast live on UBC TV. BUL FC fans will also be able to follow all the action on our:
Facebook page – BUL Football Club-Jinja
Twitter – @bulfc1
Instagram – bulfc1
And on the different WhatsApp forums.
BUL FC TV on YouTube will provide post-match reaction as well as match highlights on the following day.
Allan Kiggundu from Junior side will man the midfield
Players available delection
Aggrey Madoi, Godfrey Akol, Ambrose Kirya, Sanon Mulabi(G.K), Walter Ochora, Martin Aprem, Richard Wandyaka, Musa Esenu, Reagan Kalyowa, Joseph Semujju, Fredson Gwoto, Ibrahim Mugulusi, Owen Mukisa, Allan Kigundu, William Isabirye, Thomas Kabaale, John Okurut (G.K)
The Eastern Giants closed their transfer business with three more new signings; taking the number of players acquired in this transfer window to 14.
The team has re-signed right back Umar Mukobe on a two-year contract. BUL FC has bolstered the midfield with anchorman, Pascal Ngobi from Gaddafi FC and has also recruited experienced midfield schemer Ibrahim Kazindula, and the duo have penned a two-year contract individually.
Umar Mukobe
Mukobe featured for the Eastern Giants between 2016 and 2018 before leaving for greener pastures new in Somalia. Ngobi joins us after guiding Gaddafi FC to Uganda Premier League as the team skipper. He also played for Butembe Saza football team in the Busoga Masaza competition.
The list of recruits do include; Gwaido, Nsimbe, Ayiko, Kirya, Keni, Kalyowa, Muganga, Niwamanya, Ngobi, Mukobe, Kazindula, kasonko, Wani, Abaliwano
We are delighted to welcome Rajab Mukose – better known as Daddy Alonso to BUL Football Club as our new head groundsman.
Mukose has signed a one-year contract with the Eastern Giants and will work significantly to improve and maintain the quality of the playing surface at Kyabazinga Stadium to one we are all proud of, and in time before and or during the new Uganda Premier League season commencement.
Our new groundskeeper joins having worked formerly at newly-promoted Uganda Premier League side Gaddafi FC and the now defunct Sadolin FC in different capacities.
He holds a certificate in football groundskeeping and stadium management.
Rajab is also the founder of the highly decorated Eastern Talent Soccer Academy based in Bugembe.
BUL Football Club has renewed bonds with two players, midfield fulcrum Godfrey Akol and attacker Richard Wandyaka.
The duo have signed a one year contract extension singly and will all stay at the club up to at least 2022.
Akol and Wandyaka joined us from Busoga United and URA FC respectively and they have never looked back since then.
Godfrey Akol
Wandyaka said
“I am loving my time at this club. From the day I joined I have been made to feel part of the BUL family and I have been extremely humbled and stunned by the cordiality and love of our fans, and of course we miss their amazing support.”
“I would like to thank manager Alex and his coaching staff for their belief in me and for helping me to take my game to the next level.
“Our dream is all about winning trophies and I am sure first piece of silverware is not that far away.”
Manager Alex Isabirye during a game
“Wandyaka and Akol are some of those good players that any coach would love to work with. They have some good footballing brain which, when coupled with their talents, I know we can win something at the end of this coming season.“
“This is the perfect club for both Akol and Wandyaka to progress as top-class players and we are all delighted they have signed new contracts with us.”
The Eastern Giants can confirm the acquisition of more two new players.
Najib Tusaba Gwaido, a defender, joins BUL Football Club from Onduparaka while experienced goalkeeper Emmanuel Kalyowa comes back as free agent.
Everyone has signed a two-year contract.
New recruit Defender Najib Tusaba
“I am excited to join my dream club in Uganda. I am proud to be finally a BUL FC player and I promise better performances come the new season,” Tusaba said after inking the deal.
Kalyowa played for the Eastern Giants between 2015 and 2017 before joining URA, Kyetume and Nyamityobora respectively
BUL Football Club Jinja is delighted to announce that Walter Ochora has signed a new contract which will keep him at the club until June 2023, with the option to extend for a further year.
Ochora, 24, said: “Since I came to BUL, it’s been a brief period that have passed so quickly. I am very proud to sign my new contract and continue my stay at this great club. I want to thank everybody that showed me huge support, the management, my team-mates and the fans at large.”
“I want to let everyone know that I will give everything I have to repay BUL and deliver success over the years to come. I’m still young with a lot more to learn and I can’t wait to continue my progress under manager Alex Isabirye.”
Alex Isabirye said:
“Ochora fully deserves this contract. He mastered club’s philosophies very well, he has worked really hard at every level and he always believes in himself which is a great attribute to have for any player.”
”Ochora is still young and is improving everyday and he must feel very proud of himself. I am delighted that we are keeping such a talented player with a bright future ahead of him.“
Ochora joined BUL FC from KCCA FC in 2019 on loan and after he made his stay permanent in August 2020.
Ochora (second from right) captaining BUL FC during a Stanbic Uganda Cup
Manager Alex Isabirye unveiling Richard Ayiko to team media
BUL Football Club has added more two new players to its roster ahead of the new season.
The Eastern Giants have signed goal poacher Dickson Niwamanya from Kigezi Home Boys and defender Richard Ayiko from Onduparaka FC and everyone has signed a two-year deal with the club.
“I was enticed by the high professionalism and organization at BUL FC. And being a defender, I promise to do all I can to keep the balls away from our goal,” Ayiko said.
Ayiko, 27, has previously turned out twice for big league club Maroons FC and also featured for KCCA FC in 2015
Striker Dickson Niwamanya from Kigezi Home Boyz being unveiled by Manager Alex Isabirye
BUL Football Club is pleased to announce the signing of two new players, midfield schemer, Jerome Kirya and center back Douglas Muganga.
These two have signed a two-year contract each and join us from neighbours, Busoga United
“I am happy to join BUL FC and I am ready to give all I can to help the team succeed,” Kirya said after signing his contract.
Team Manager Alex Isabirye said the youngster was the missing piece in his team.
“We struggled a lot in the midfield last season. We needed someone who can create chances and I think he is that ‘boy’ Kirya. He is young, creative and very talented. I believe that problem is now solved.”
The midfield schemer made his debut in the Uganda Premier League in 2018/19 season after his meticulous growth through the youths ranks of his former team.
Meanwhile, Muganga said: “I am excited to be part of BUL FC and I promise fans success only.”
The two now brings the number of new recruits to seven on addition to Saidi Keni, Hannington Ssebwalunyo, George Kasonko, Ibra Nsimbe and Ivan Wani
