Heavy Shoes to Fill: Amus College Carry Uganda’s Legacy into Rwanda

As Amus College’s boys’ football team heads to Kigali, the Eastern Giants will carry more than the Ugandan flag. They will also carry the weight of a legacy built by two Ugandan schools over the past four years.

Amus College will represent Uganda at the CAF Africa Schools Football Championship CECAFA Qualifiers in Kigali, Rwanda, from September 3 to 5, 2026, at Kigali Pele Stadium.

The Eastern Giants earned their place after winning the Uganda national qualifiers held in Gulu City in July. Amus defeated Bukedea Comprehensive School in the semi-finals before overcoming St Mary’s Kitende in the final, earning the right to carry Uganda’s hopes into the regional competition.

However, Amus are stepping into a story that began in 2022 and has since been shaped by Royal Giant High School and St Mary’s Kitende.

Royal Giant High School – Dar es Salaam, 2022

Royal Giant High School became the first Ugandan school to represent the country in the boys’ category at the CAF Africa Schools Football Championship CECAFA Qualifiers when the inaugural competition was held in Dar es Salaam in 2022.

The Ugandans went all the way, emerging as champions and becoming the first school to win the CECAFA title.

Royal Giant were expected to represent the CECAFA region at the inaugural continental finals but ultimately did not participate.

Nevertheless, their achievement remains historic. As champions, the school received USD 100,000 in prize support from CAF, awarded in the form of a development project. In 2025, Royal Giant received a new school bus as part of that support.

Their triumph laid the foundation for Uganda’s growing presence in the competition.

St Mary’s Kitende – Nairobi, 2023

A year later, St Mary’s Kitende emerged as Uganda’s new force on the regional stage.

Kitende won the CECAFA qualifiers in Nairobi in 2023, bringing the trophy back to Uganda and establishing the school as a serious contender in the emerging continental schools football structure.

That victory earned Kitende a place at the CAF Africa Schools Football Championship finals in Zanzibar in 2024. However, their first appearance at the continental finals ended in the group stage.

It was a setback, but one that would become part of a remarkable learning curve.

St Mary’s Kitende – Wakiso, 2024

Uganda hosted the CECAFA qualifiers in 2024, with the competition played in a round-robin format.

Kitende finished second behind Tanzania, who claimed the regional title.

However, Tanzania’s position as the host region’s representative at the continental finals opened another route for Kitende. With CECAFA allocated two places at the finals, Kitende qualified for the continental championship as the defending CECAFA representative.

At the 2025 CAF Africa Schools Football Championship finals in Accra, Ghana, Kitende built on the experience gained in Zanzibar.

This time, they progressed beyond the group stages and reached the semi-finals, where Senegal ended their title hopes.

Kitende then turned their attention to the bronze medal but suffered a 2-1 defeat to hosts Ghana, despite leading at half-time.

The journey ended without a medal, but the progress was clear.

St Mary’s Kitende – Wakiso, 2025

Back in Uganda for the 2025 CECAFA qualifiers, Kitende had another opportunity to reclaim the regional crown.

This time, they did not let it slip.

After a goalless final against Tanzania, Kitende prevailed on penalties to regain the CECAFA trophy they had first won in Kenya in 2023.

The victory also secured their third consecutive appearance at the continental finals.

Zimbabwe, 2026: Kitende Go One Step Further

The 2026 CAF Africa Schools Football Championship finals in Zimbabwe provided Kitende with another opportunity to make history.

The Ugandans produced a strong group-stage campaign, finishing top of their group before defeating Benin in the semi-finals to reach their first-ever continental final.

Waiting for them in the final were familiar opponents, Senegal.

The match ended 0-0 in normal time, but Senegal prevailed in the penalty shootout, denying Kitende their first continental title.

For Kitende, it was a painful ending but also another major step forward. From exiting at the group stage in 2024, to reaching the semi-finals in 2025, and eventually playing in the continental final in 2026, the progression was unmistakable.

Now it’s Amus Turn and Also what’s at stake

That is the legacy Amus College inherits as they travel to Kigali.

For four consecutive years, Uganda has remained a significant force in the boys’ CECAFA competition, with Royal Giant and Kitende carrying the national flag and consistently securing places on the continental stage.

Royal Giant wrote the first chapter by winning the inaugural CECAFA title in 2022.

Kitende followed by winning in 2023, returning to the continental finals three times in succession and eventually reaching the 2026 final.

Now, Amus College have the responsibility of ensuring that Uganda’s run continues.

The Eastern Giants arrive in Rwanda not simply as national champions, but as custodians of a legacy.

The challenge, therefore, is bigger than winning another regional trophy. Amus must protect Uganda’s remarkable record of reaching the continental championship while attempting to go where their predecessors could not: winning the continental title.

The road begins in Kigali.

And the shoes they are stepping into are heavy.

What Is at Stake?

Beyond regional pride and continental qualification, the tournament also comes with significant financial rewards.

The CECAFA qualifier winners will receive USD 100,000, while the runners-up will receive USD 75,000 and the third-placed team USD 50,000.

For Amus College, however, the biggest prize may be the opportunity to write a new chapter in Uganda’s CAF Africa Schools Football Championship story.

Royal Giant started the journey.

Kitende carried it forward.

Now it’s Amus Turn and Also what’s at stake.