Sinan Rajub SENOGA
The climax of the FUFA Women Super League saw last season’s champions She Corporate succumbing to relegation after their 2-2 draw with Kawempe Muslim at Nakawa.
She Corporate came into the final game with nothing to settle for but victory or else hope other results elsewhere could swing in their favour.
The Nakawa based outfit led the game 2-0 courtesy of goals from Zian Ithungu and Winnie Nabbaale but surprisingly threw away the led in the final 15 minutes.
Teenage midfielder Agnes Nabukenya pulled one back from close range in the 75th minute before Suzan Nalukoda scored a leveller from a goal mouth scramble 10 minutes to normal time.
The draw meant that She Corporate garnered 20 points, same as Lady Doves who had a better goal difference of +3.
She Corporate’s other direct relegation competitors Asubo Gafford Ladies and Makerere University got respectively wins and subsequently made the best of the dramatic draw in Nakawa.
What Went Wrong?
12 months ago, She Corporate were lifting the FUFA Women Super League title after edging Kampala Queens on a one goal margin as both tied on points.
A lot has changed since then, from attitude of the available players to a significant change in the playing staff. The relegation woes were very imminent from the onset of the season when She Corporate drew 1-1 with Makerere.
Along the way, the Nakawa side lost a number of key players at a time positive results were hard to come their way and failed to make appropriate replacements.
Favour Danielita Nambatya who was the club’s leading scorer last season with 10 goals left the club mid way the season and joined Rwanda’s APAER FC.
Phiona Nabbumba, the most influential player in the team, last season’s MVP made a big move to Denmark’s B93 Women. Her move robbed the club of creativity.
That was not it, a few days into the second round, the club’s skipper Naume Nagadya and striker Joanita Ainembabazi were surprisingly sighted in Tanzania playing for Ceasiaa Queens FC.
Ainembabazi had just established herself as the club’s new go-to girl but left and at the time the club needed her most with reports suggesting that Ceasiaa Queens attained her on loan. Which club loans out their best player at such a crucial time?
Ainembabazi had six goals and her untimely departure, a few games into the second round, was not well addressed with an ideal direct replacement.
The club laboured for positive results in the business end of the season and it is not a surprise results never came.
She Corporate became the first club in the league’s history to be relegated a season after winning the league title.
