Musingu Boys’ hockey coach Benson Wabuyabo believes no Ugandan team will halt their march to the East African hockey gong when the games begin on Monday in Bukedea, Uganda.
During last year's tournament, Musingu fell agonisingly short, finishing runners-up after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Uganda’s Kakungulu in the final.
Ntare School also bested them in the pool matches, beating them 2-1. Wabuyabo is, however, confident his side will turn the tables this time around.
“Ntare and Kakungulu got the better of us last year but it won’t happen again. We’re prepared,” Wabuyabo declared.
“No Ugandan team will beat us this year. We’re confident of handling them alongside Tanzania. We have our eyes on the prize,” he added.
The Kakamega-based school has been drawn in Pool ‘A’ where they’ll face Uganda’s Ntare School and Mbarara High, along with Tanzania’s Arusha Meru Secondary.
Pool ‘B’ will feature national runners-up St. Anthony’s Kitale, and St. Charles Lwanga and hosts Kakungulu and Kyadondo Secondary.
Wabuyabo also revealed that the school had sent scouts to study their Ugandan opponents during the national competitions, ensuring they leave nothing to chance.
“We send scouts to observe their games during their national games and there is no trick we won’t uncover,” he noted.
The coach hailed the upbeat atmosphere in the camp, saying the players are determined to correct last year’s near miss.
“The spirit is high among the boys. They are ready for the tough challenge ahead. Last year, we missed the title by a whisker and the boys are looking to correct the mistake,” he added.
In preparation for the regional showdown, Musingu have sharpened their skills in a series of friendlies, including a 3-0 victory over St. Charles Lwanga.
“We played a few friendly matches to prepare for the East African games. On Wednesday, we beat St. Charles Lwanga 3-0. We have also played other teams and won against them,” he said.
“This clearly shows our resolve to clinch the gong this year,” he added.
Training has focused heavily on perfecting short corners and refining both ground and aerial passes. “We’ve prioritised short corners, aiming to convert at least 50 per cent of them. We’ve also worked on our passing game, both on the ground and in the air,” Wabuyabo explained.
Musingu is set to depart on Friday, with their first match against Ntare scheduled for Monday, followed by a clash with Mbarara on Tuesday.
