In a match that will be remembered as one of the most stunning upsets in Ugandan women’s football, St. Noa Girls FC, a school-based side with hearts twice their size, toppled the star-studded Kampala Queens 3-2, booting the reigning Finance Trust Women Super League champions out of the FUFA Women’s Cup.
Sylvia Kabene, known on the turf as The Punisher, delivered a performance worthy of folklore, a clinical hat-trick that turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 triumph, sending shockwaves through Phillip Omondi Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. Her overhead winner in the 61st minute was not just a goal; it was a declaration. The Elite League MVP reminded everyone that form, grit, and courage often outplay pedigree.
St. Noa drew first blood in the 22nd minute with a sharp finish from Kabene, but the Queens bit back—Shamirah Nalugya converting from the spot after a handball, and Zainah Nandede curling home a stunner just before halftime. At that point, Kampala looked poised for a routine win. But as the old saying goes, “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”
The second half unfolded like a Shakespearean drama. Tactical substitutions by Queens coach Asefa Firew Hailegebreal, meant to tighten the screws, instead loosened the bolts. St. Noa exploited the resulting midfield gaps with lethal precision. In the 58th minute, Brendah Nassaka sliced through the lines and teed up Kabene for her second.
Then came the moment of magic: 61st minute, the ball floated in, Kabene launched herself into the air—and time stopped. Her acrobatic overhead finish lit up the stadium and silenced the Kampala Queens bench.
St. Noa’s backline, led by the indomitable Lilian Nakirya and the fearless Zainabu Birungi, who cleared a certain goal off the line, weathered every late storm. With passion in their boots and steel in their spines, the schoolgirls who dared earned a ticket to the semifinals, awaiting the winner of She Corporate vs Kawempe Muslim Ladies. Uganda Martyrs will lock horns with Amus College in the other tie.
This defeat, Kampala Queens’ second of the season, both against high school outfits and at the same venue, will sting. First Kawempe Muslim SS, now St. Noa. It seems the giants of the league have met their slayers in school uniforms.
In a world where talent often plays second fiddle to funding and fame, St. Noa Girls FC are flipping the script, one kick at a time. And with Kabene writing her story in bold strokes, the future of Ugandan women’s football looks as bright as the mid-day sun.
Photo: Kamira Asha
