The tournament reaches its first knockout milestone as Day Five brings the Round of 32 to Lira, with 32 schools from across Uganda battling for a place in the Round of 16. All 16 matches are spread across four venues and four kickoff windows, promising a full day of high-stakes school football.
The Stage: Knockout Football Begins
This is no longer the group phase where a draw can keep your tournament alive. Every match on Day Five is a straight elimination contest — win or go home. With schools from Central, Eastern, Western, and Northern Uganda all represented, the geographical spread reflects just how national this competition truly is.
Venue Breakdown
Four grounds will host the action simultaneously across each time slot:
Lira Town College is the flagship venue, hosting four matches across all four time slots — including some of the headline clashes of the day.
Dr Obote I and Dr Obote II, named in honour of former Ugandan president Milton Obote whose roots are in the Lango sub-region, provide two additional parallel pitches keeping the schedule moving efficiently.
Lango College I completes the quartet, also hosting four matches. The local school-turned-venue adds a fitting home flavour to proceedings in Lira.
Matches to Watch
Buddo SS vs Kisozi Seed (9:00 AM, Lira Town College) opens the day. Buddo Secondary School is historically one of Uganda's most competitive school football programmes and will be expected to assert their pedigree early.
Kawempe Muslim (9:00 AM, Dr Obote I) are perennial heavyweights in USSSA football and face Lango College I / Kichwamba High School in what could be the biggest mismatch-on-paper of the morning — though knockout football has a habit of upending expectations.
Kyadondo SS vs Mukono Kings High School (11:00 AM, Lira Town College) is a Central Region derby with plenty of local rivalry attached to it.
Kibuli SS vs Greenlight Islamic Secondary (2:00 PM, Lango College I) is a fascinating matchup between two Muslim-heritage schools with strong footballing traditions. Kibuli will come in as slight favourites but Greenlight have shown they belong at this stage.
St Mary's Kitende vs Kitara SS (4:00 PM, Dr Obote II) is arguably the marquee clash of the entire day. St Mary's Kitende is Uganda's most decorated school football programme and a perennial favourite for the national title. Facing Kitara SS in a knockout game, they will be expected to advance — but they cannot afford complacency.
Masaka SS vs LakeSide SS (4:00 PM, Lira Town College) rounds out the afternoon with another South-Central matchup that should draw a good crowd.
What's at Stake
The 16 winners from Day Five advance to the Round of 16, where the bracket tightens further. Defeat today means the end of the road for an entire school's 2026 campaign. Coaches will have spent the week watching footage, drilling set pieces, and preparing their squads mentally for the pressure of knockout football — and it all comes down to 90 minutes (or more, if it goes to extra time or penalties).
With Lira hosting for the first time at this level of national competition, the Northern Ugandan crowd is expected to be electric throughout the day. Local schools Lango College I and Jipra will carry the home hopes of the region — Jipra's match against Amus College at 11:00 AM at Lango College I is one the local fans will be especially vocal for.
Kickoff times start at 9:00 AM. All matches are live knockout — no second chances.
