The Royals have roared on the Horn of Africa! The Royals are one foot into the next round.
Mogadishu City 1-2 Kitara FC | CAF Confederation Cup Preliminary Round - 1st Leg | Mogadishu
Kitara FC today ended years of continental heartbreak as they secured a massive 2-1 away victory against Somalia's Mogadishu City Club. The hero of the hour is none other than Jimmy Kalema, the 2025 Masaza Cup Player of the Season, who continues to prove that his phenomenal 2025 campaign was no fluke.
It was just last year that Kalema established himself as the undisputed king of local football, clinching the Masaza Cup Most Valuable Player award, finishing as the tournament's top scorer, and leading Buweekula to their first ever prestigious title.
In a match played this afternoon in Mogadishu, the man who dominated the domestic scene showed exactly why he deserves every accolade. His transition from Masaza Cup hero to continental savior was completed in emphatic fashion, as he single-handedly turned the tide for the Royals on foreign soil.
Mogadishu City took the lead against the run of play, leaving Hoima silent. However, Kitara never panicked. The coach's instruction at half-time was clear: "Give the ball to Jimmy."
The equalizer came from a sublime through ball from Patrick Kaddu. Kalema beat the offside trap, cut inside, and fired with his weaker left foot into the bottom corner to make it 1-1.
Then came the moment of magic. A corner was cleared, and the ball fell to Kalema 25 yards out. With one touch and a look up, he unleashed a rocket into the top corner. The goalkeeper had no chance. The Kitara bench erupted as the scoreline read 1-2.
It was a brace on his CAF Confederation Cup debut, away from home, and under immense pressure—the kind of performance that has become his trademark since his explosive run with Buweekula.
This victory means everything for Kitara. In 2024, the club was forced to play both legs of their continental tie in Libya against Al Hilal Benghazi because they lacked a CAF-approved stadium, ultimately losing 6-4 on aggregate.
Today, with Hoima City Stadium now approved by the Government to host continental games, Kitara knew that an away win would make the second leg in Hoima a festival.
The second leg is scheduled for September 12 at Hoima City Stadium, and Western Uganda is ready. Tickets are already on sale at UGX 20,000 for ordinary seating and 50,000 for VIP.
Win that, and Kitara will face African giants Al Ahly in the next round—the biggest game in the club's history.
"Jimmy Kalema is not the Ganda Media Agency Player of the Year for nothing. He is a big-game player. We told him, 'Today you must carry us,'" said a Kitara fan in Hoima.
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