Fifty nine teams are in Mbarara town for the 2018 edition of COPA Coca-Cola national championships, which started May 5.
Hosted by Mbarara High School, the national finals will also crown the 25th anniversary celebrations of the tournament in Uganda.
Over the past 25 years, COPA Coca-Cola has become Uganda’s largest brand-supported grassroots football tournament with notable players such as Farouk Miya, Godfrey Walusimbi, Shaban Muhamad, Khalid Aucho and many others making it to local and international clubs as well as to the Uganda national team, the Cranes.
This tournament has cultivated values such as team spirit, friendship, constructive competition and mutual respect in thousands of players in over 2000 schools across the country, sponsors say.
In preparation for the 2018 national finals, all teams arrived at Mbarara High School last Saturday before 5:00pm.
Screening of players from the invited teams started immediately the teams arrived and there was a pre-championship meeting on Sunday May 6, 2018.
As part of the 25th anniversary celebrations, Coca-Cola rewarded all the regional winning teams with a brand new TV to enable them stay up to date with the FIFA World Cup that will be played later this year.
The beverage giant also cut a cake in each of the regions and pledged to refurbish all the 25 school football pitches that have hosted COPA Coca-Cola national finals since the launch of the tournament 25 years ago. The overall winner is set to be crowned on May 19.
