By Victor Turinawe
Uganda Christian University Lady Cardinals advanced to the third round of the 2026 Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) Women Cup after knocking out Jinja United Women FC in a thrilling 4-2 victory.
The highly contested game, played on May 24th at the UCU Mukono Campus Main Football Pitch, saw the Lady Cardinals advance to the third round of the competition despite a sluggish start in both the first half and the opening 15 minutes of the second half, during which they found themselves 2-0 down.
After conceding the second goal, the Lady Cardinals pulled one back immediately, with Harriet Muwugumya scoring from the penalty spot following a handball foul committed by Jinja United Women FC inside their penalty area.
Cathy Nassimbwa then broke the deadlock for the hosts with a brace in the 68th and 88th minutes, respectively, in addition to the third goal from Mercy Amoding, which solidified the win for the UCU Lady Cardinals.
Patricia Babirye and Benita Nassejje had earlier put the visitors in front, with each scoring one goal in a bid to extend their dominance over the Lady Cardinals, whom they had earlier defeated in March this year during a FUFA Women’s Elite League fixture that ended 1-0 in their favour away in Jinja.
The victory means the Lady Cardinals now await the third-round draw to determine their next opponents, as well as when and where the match will be played. With 16 teams participating in the second round, eight teams are expected to exit the competition at this stage, while the remaining eight advance to the next round.
The two FUFA Women Elite League Victoria Division giants, the Jinja United Women FC, will look forward to facing each other again in the league encounter scheduled for Wednesday, 27th May 2026, in the second leg at the UCU Grounds.
