All-Banija Sports Magazine

by **Banija** » Sat Feb 12, 2022 3:11 pm

Banija League Soccer, Year 6 of the S-FPL Era - Basic Information and Preview

You can find basic information about the Banijan soccer pyramid here.

Banija League Soccer is the entity that makes up Banija's national second tier. This consists of 18 teams. There is only one promotion/relegation slot to the S-FPL from this league, so the league champion will get promoted, while the last place finisher gets relegated to the regional leagues. The second to last place finisher plays the 2nd place regional league champion for the final spot in this competition.

Qualification for the Liga B Champions Trophy shall go like this. Formerly, the champion did not participate in the LBCT, but due to the entry format going against IFCF guidelines, the qualification has changed. The top two teams in the league will earn direct qualification to the LBCT. The 3rd through 6th place squads will enter the LBCT Qualification Playoff. It will be a double round robin group stage, with each team playing six games, home and away. The top team in that playoff group will qualify for Banija's last spot to the LBCT. Furthermore, the first tiebreaker for the LBCT Qualification Playoff shall be standing in league play during the regular season.

As for relegation, there is the potential for two teams to be relegated. The last place team shall be automatically relegated to the regional leagues. The second worst team will play in a two legged tie, called the BLS Qualifier, with the team that lost the regional league Promotion Playoff Final. The winner of that qualifier will play in this league next season, while the loser shall go to the regional leagues.

Roster Key-
Underlined players are Banijan internationals.
Nationality is listed if they are not Banijan.
Italicized players are internationals for a foreign country.
All players are male unless otherwise specified.

Teams in Banija League Soccer-
1. Aissa United Football Club. AUFC. Location: Aissa, Hangaza. Colors: Blue & white.

2. Askatasuna Football Club. AFC. Location: Askatasuna, Aksum. Colors: Green & White.

3. Bunyoro Regional Sporting Club. BRSC. Location: Dodomo, Bunyoro. Colors: Blue.

4. Herzegovina Phoenix. BKF. Location: Vdizi, Moravica.

5. The Lwanga Lions. LWG. Location: Lwanga, Buganda. Colors: Orange.

6. Corizova United FC. CUFC. Location: Corizova, Moravica. Color: Gold.

7. Dukuma Sporting Club. DSC. Location: Dukuma, North Island, Busoga Islands. Colors: Purple & white.

8. Duntho Sporting Club. DSC. Loction: Duntho, Hangaza. Colors: Green.

9. Igulu City Football Club. ICFC. Location: Igulu, Hangaza. Colors: Blue.

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10. Isipongo Flash. IF. Location: Isipongo, Buganda. Colors: Black & white.

11. Kabakono City. KBC. Location: Kabakona, Kitara. Colors: Blue.

12. Lakiska Sporting Club. LSC. Location: Lakiska, South Island, Busoga Islands. Colors: Red.

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13. Jaribga Soccer Club. JSC. Location: Jaribga, North Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Blue.

14. Rukunbi Football Club. RFC. Location: Istria, Moravica. Located in Eastern Istria, the largest of the 5 districts of Istria with 38% of the city's population and generally considered to be culturally distinct from the rest of the city. Colors: Light Green & White.

15. Sororo City. SOR. Location: Sororo, Bunyoro. Colors: Blue.

16. Suwawa FC. SFC. Location: Suwawa, Moravica. Color: Green.

17. Umbazi Metropolitan Sporting Club. Location: Umbazi, Buganda. Nickname: Flamingo. Deragotory Nickname: Flightless Birds

18. Zakuta City. ZKC. Location: Zakuta, Ankole. Colors: Green.

All-Banija Sports Magazine Projected Order of Finish

Aissa United
Lakiska SC
Herzegovina Phoenix
Rukunbi FC
Kabakono City
Duntho Sporting Club
Bunyoro RSC
Umbazi Metropolitan Sporting Club
Dukuma SC
Zakuta City
Sororo City
Isipongo Flash
Igulu City FC
Askatasuna FC
Lwanga Lions
Jaribga Soccer Club
Corizova United
Suwawa FC

Banija League Soccer is preparing for a slightly less competitive division, as fewer teams are seen as contenders- although this race could be wide open regardless. What's at stake? None other than a berth in one of the wealthiest and best leagues in the world, the Shango-Fogoa Premier League. There is only one promotion spot available on this side, which means the competition amongst the top can be extremely competitive. Aissa United open again as the betting favorites, with a freer than normal spending Lakiska SC making a few signings as well to make this really a three-horse race. Joined by who? Herzegovina Phoenix, who spent four consecutive seasons in the top flight before being relegated. Can they hop right back into the top flight?

Aissa United once again open the league season as the slight favorites to win the title. It's really interesting to see this team, likely the biggest team in the country that is not in the S-FPL, struggling so hard to mkae it into the S-FPL. Many thought they'd be able to make it to the S-FPL pretty easily. But the Hawabark Boulders have been a much better lower league team than them, and they haven't used their advantages as a big club well enough. Do they have the talent and depth? Once again, yes. But Xavier-Marc Lévy, their Quebecois manager now entering his seventh season, is entering the hot seat. It's promotion or bust expectations at Aissa United. And if it's bust... Well, expect them to clean out their roster, as they've got quite a few veterans on the team who wouldn't be around if they decide to invest the cash in a serious rebuild.

And next, we will take a nice long look at Lakiska SC. They've brought back club legend, Winad-Lenpi Xlo, into the fold, as the Qusmo national has returned to the club that made them famous in the first place. They had gone to the national team, and led them on a spirited, stunning run to the AOCAF Quarterfinals, before they were eliminated by none other than Banija, on an 117th minute counter-attacking goal from Idai Uster. But Winad-Lenpi Xlo did not just come back for nothing. This will mark the fourth consecutive season that the Busoga Islands are missing a team, entirely, from the Shango-Fogoa Premier League. "I want to get this club back to the top flight, for Lakiska, and for all of Busoga!" They said at their introductory press conference. And they've spent the money to turbocharge their chase. First, a very controversial signing, grabbing Odede Angonga from Nyowani Kitara as their front man. This would have been impossible for a Banijan team- but the NYK Civil War did not generate nearly as much toxicity in the Busoga Islands, where Nafuna Akongo was quite popular. Angonga is a loud and proud supporter of Nafuna Akongo. He's already going to be the league's villain from that aspect alone, as Banijan fans will declare him public enemy #1. They've also signed Parker Mathis, from Hapilopper's national team. The son of Hapilopper President William Mathis, he plays with what some call 'reckless abandon', but what Winad-Lenpi calls 'limitless energy'. "Formed in the right mold, he can be at the center of the park for a S-FPL team. And that is exactly what we will be- next season."

Next, we're going to talk about the Herzegovina Phoenix. Getting promoted in the first season of this league, they spent four seasons in the top flight before being cast down into the lower leagues. Despite their relegation, Reinhard Drake has hung onto his post as manager, drawing criticism from Phoenix supporters. He's done it before, performed in the big time- why can't he do it again, they say? These are players that almost all have S-FPL experience, even if that experience is relegation experience. But historically, the Phoenix have always been a club that has punched above their weight. Before Kitara Athletic Association stunned the multiverse by winning the S-FPL, and then the G-d damn Champions League in back to back seasons, the Phoenix have had the biggest heights of any club not considered a historically big club(Istria City, Jinja City, Herzegovina City, Busukuma AC, and Hoima). They should be able to have enough talent to get back up. But where are the improvements? They are a serious threat to go back up, even if they are not a favorite.

And there you have it. Which team will win the race to get to the S-FPL, and which two other teams will join that one in next year's Liga B Champions Trophy?

by **Banija** » Sun Feb 13, 2022 10:33 am

Banija League Soccer, Year 6 of the S-FPL Era - Results

The Million Dollar Game

Due to a quirk in scheduling, and the competitiveness of this second tier season, it has all come down to one game to determine who exactly will earn promotion to the Shango-Fogoa Premier League, and who will be relegated. Entering Week 34, Aissa United was in first place in the division, with 78 points earned. 128 goals scored and just 28 goals allowed, their form was both dominant and spectacular, as they scored at will, putting 3.88 goals per game into the back of the net, a pace that potential future Farf rivals would surely enjoy. Second place, Lakiska SC, with 77 points. They were their usual defensive selves, having conceded just 19 goals throughout the first 33 games of the season. In third place was Askatasuna FC, with 74 points- out of the title picture. A two horse race with teams seemingly built on opposite foundations, one a defensive bedrock, the other- an offensive juggernaut.

And those two happened to face each other on the last game of the season, with Lakiska SC hosting Aissa United in the Busogan capitol. A league title at stake, and with it, a stake in the Shango-Fogoa Premier League. "Those revenue deals are kept private, and we can't even begin to understand Farf acccounting, but the league is rolling in money. An insanely lucrative TV deal in Banija, with some seriously lucrative TV deals abroad, including strong ones within Farfadillis, mean promotion is worth incalculable millions- the high 8 figures for sure, and surely closer to 9. Calling it the million dollar game is grossly inaccurate- it's worth far more than that." And for fans, who don't benefit from any of those figures, the fantastic feeling of haivng your team in the top flight. Fans have taken to calling it 'the Million Dollar Game

So that was the backdrop for when Lakiska SC and Aissa United played each other on the final game of the season. This league has a traditional "Final Day" format for week 34, but because of these stakes, this game only was moved to nighttime, while the other 8 games kicked off at the same time. This game, how exciting, was absolutely a back and forth kind of contest. Aissa United, of course, could win the league with a draw. But they are built to push forward- and that is what they did. For a majority of the first half, they were on the ball, being creative, although Odero Auma was on top of his game in net. But Lakiska had a brilliant counter-attacking moment in the first half. A 40th minute hard slide tackle by Parker Mathis of Lakiska SC took the ball off the feet of Wassa Kayode, and suddenly, Lakiska SC were blitzing up the pitch. The move ended in Akyol Aslan hitting a brilliant cross to Ozkan Balkan, who headed the ball into the back of the net.

1-0 at half, in favor of the home team. But Aissa United ratcheted up the pressure in the second half. They wanted to earn promotion- badly. I mean, who doesn't, right? If you aren't here to win trophies, why are you here? But Lakiska SC's defense stood tall at the right moments. Mohammed Mansaray, the league's leading goalscorer, was denied at point blank range by Lakiska's goalkeeper. Auma denied Marius Haugum in a one v. one opportunity as well. But eventually, Aissa United had to commit more and more men forward- no sense defending, when a goal will do everything you've ever wanted. When, in stoppage time, Aissa had everybody up, including all defenders and their goalkeeper, a clearance released the ball to Angonga. He hit the ball from midfield into the back of an empty net, clinching the win, the league, and promotion, all with one swing of his foot.

2-0 on the day to Lakiska SC, and the final whistle blew. That's when the party started. After four consecutive seasons down in the second tier, Lakiska SC were back into the Shango-Fogoa Premier League. And Aissa United, once again, would have to look in the mirror and ask themselves questions. What happened? Why couldn't they win the league this year? 128 goals scored and yet, when it mattered most, they couldn't even score once? It will be a long offseason for those in Hangaza's capitol city.

Banijan Soccer League Standings

    Team                         P   W  D   L  For   Ag   +/- Pts
  1 Lakiska SC                  34  24  8   2   72   19   +53  80 - League Champions, Promoted to the S-FPL, Qualify for the Liga B Champions Trophy
  2 Aissa United                34  24  6   4  128   30   +98  78 - Qualifies for the Liga B Champions Trophy
  3 Askatasuna FC               34  24  5   5  113   46   +67  77 - Will compete in LBCT Qualification Playoff
  4 Herzegovina Phoenix         34  21  4   9   92   36   +56  67 - Will compete in LBCT Qualification Playoff
  5 Rukunbi FC                  34  19  6   9   72   50   +22  63 - Will compete in LBCT Qualification Playoff
  6 Dukuma SC                   34  17  7  10   64   41   +23  58 - Will compete in LBCT Qualification Playoff
  7 Isipongo Flash              34  17  4  13   72   54   +18  55
  8 Igulu City FC               34  16  4  14   73   73    +0  52
  9 Umbazi Metropolitan SC      34  15  6  13   61   53    +8  51
 10 Lwanga Lions                34  15  4  15   54   72   -18  49
 11 Bunyoro RSC                 34  14  5  15   85   63   +22  47
 12 Kabakono City               34  13  6  15   54   68   -14  45
 13 Duntho Sporting Club        34  11  5  18   51   73   -22  38
 14 Sororo City                 34   9  7  18   56   89   -33  34
 15 Jaribga Soccer Club         34   7  7  20   44   94   -50  28
 16 Corizova United             34   8  3  23   39   82   -43  27
 17 Zakuta City                 34   4  3  27   32  107   -75  15 - Will play in the BLS Qualifier
 18 Suwawa FC                   34   2  2  30   25  137  -112   8 - Relegated to the Banijan Regional Leagues

1st Team All-Pro - 4-4-2 Formation

Position     Name             Age       Nationality               Team Name            
GK      Lama Biri              33      Banija                  Dukuma SC       - GOLDEN GLOVE
RB      Ifeatu Ofako           27       Banija                Herzegovina Phoenix
CB      Eriz Ince              30      Busoga Islands          Lakiska SC
CB      Bunta Sa               21        Banija             Askatasuna FC
LB      Gulcan Selcuk          26     Busoga Islands          Lakiska SC
MID     Parker Mathis          20      Hapiloppper           Lakiska SC
MID     Wassa Kayode           31         Banija              Aissa United
MID     Ohon Ojouk             24          Banija            Askatasuna FC
MID     Shalem Abong'o         23         Banija               Bunyoro RSC
ST      Odede Angonga          25         Nyowani Kitara        Lakiska SC 
ST      Mohammed Mansaray      26     Banija/Busoga Islands        Aissa United       - GOLDEN BOOT(37 goals)

Banija LBCT Qualification Playoff

LBCT Qualification Playoff Standings

   Team                     P  W  D  L For  Ag +/- Pts
 1 Askatasuna FC            6  4  2  0  12   4  +8  14 - Qualifies for the IFCF Liga B Champions Trophy
 2 Herzegovina Phoenix      6  2  1  3  10  10  +0   7
 3 Dukuma SC                6  2  1  3   8   9  -1   7
 4 Rukunbi FC               6  1  2  3   4  11  -7   5

BLS Qualifier
Zakuta City v. Barmos United.

First Leg
Zakuta City 4-1 Barmos United (4-1 agg)
Second Leg
Barmos United 1-1 Zakuta City (2-5 agg)

Zakuta City will remain in Banija's second tier, by virtue of winning this tie, 5-2 on aggregate. Barmos United, because of their loss, will remain in Banija's regional leagues.

by **Banija** » Sun Sep 04, 2022 8:51 pm

Banija's Regional Soccer Leagues in the S-FPL Era- Year 8 Results

Northwestern League

   Northwestern League         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Suwawa FC                    36   27   3   6   127   53  +74    84 - League Champion, qualifies for promotion Playoff
 2 Barmos United                36   20   7   9   103   59  +44    67
 3 Taramazna United             36   18   9   9   105   70  +35    63
 4 Eastern Moravica FC          36   17   5  14    83   71  +12    56
 5 Koszagard City               36   13  10  13    71   92  −21    49
 6 Nezrouch Rovers              36   13   9  14    66   64   +2    48
 7 Tezirbu Foxes                36   10   9  17    24   36  −12    39
 8 Tripoli Foresters            36   12   2  22    52   97  −45    38
 9 AFC Kosactus                 36    9   9  18    65   93  −28    36
10 Slobochia Bears              36    5   9  22    59  120  −61    24

Lower Coastal League

   Lower Coastal League        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
  1 Ogbordu Diamond FC           36   25   4   7   109   51  +58    79 - League Champion, qualifies for promotion Playoff
 2 Bwubanza City SC             36   20   9   7   114   53  +61    69
 3 Mamari City                  36   20   9   7    84   49  +35    69
 4 Nsade United                 36   13  13  10    75   60  +15    52
 5 Baleweye FC                  36   12  12  12    72   68   +4    48
 6 Kwadama Dojo                 36   10  11  15    62   89  −27    41
 7 AFC Akwadua                  36   10  10  16    40   49   −9    40
 8 Djoro Athletic               36    7  11  18    53   97  −44    32
 9 Kitara Athletic Society      36    6  13  17    61  103  −42    31
10 Dimbogourou SC               36    9   4  23    51  102  −51    31

Northern League

Northern League             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
   1 Okakameb City                36   24   6   6    94   52  +42    78 - League Champion, qualifies for promotion Playoff
 2 Garixas City                 36   18  13   5    82   40  +42    67
 3 Cerenus United               36   18   5  13    96   78  +18    59
 4 Luguyala Patriots            36   17   5  14    88   61  +27    56
 5 AFC Okahavi                  36   15   6  15    76   74   +2    51
 6 Gadive City                  36   13   7  16    56   69  −13    46
 7 Thayaferu United             36   11   8  17    71  105  −34    41
 8 Nanami Dragons               36   10   8  18    60   79  −19    38
 9 Selekawe Knights             36    9   8  19    52   78  −26    35
10 Koksho City                  36    8   8  20    63  102  −39    32

Southern League

   Southern League             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
    1 Abomfa United                36   22   7   7    50   18  +32    73 - League Champion, qualifies for promotion Playoff
 2 Busemlu Park SC              36   17  11   8    64   37  +27    62
 3 Amaku City SC                36   19   5  12    63   38  +25    62
 4 Byakado City                 36   16  10  10    77   44  +33    58
 5 Mukegara Warriors            36   13  13  10    62   50  +12    52
 6 Pumbasa Boars                36   13  10  13    71   68   +3    49
 7 Boufaya Ravens               36   14   6  16    45   50   −5    48
 8 Kigagana Mountaineers        36   11  13  12    29   26   +3    46
 9 Dodoma City SC               36    6  14  16    42   73  −31    32
10 Umbazi FA                    36    2   5  29    29  128  −99    11

BLS Promotion Playoff
1st Leg

Suwawa FC 1–5 Ogbordu Diamond FC
Okakameb City 0–1 Abomfa United

2nd Leg

Ogbordu Diamond FC 3–3 Suwawa FC (Ogbordu Diamond FC advance 8-4 on aggregate to the Promotion Playoff Final)
Abomfa United 1–0 Okakameb City (Abomfa United advance 2-0 on aggregate to the Promotion Playoff Final)

Promotion Playoff Final
Played at the Stadium of the Restoration in Busukuma, National Capitol Region, Banija.

Ogbordu Diamond FC 3–0 Abomfa United

Ogbordu Diamond FC are promoted to Banija's 2nd tier. Abomfa United advance to the BLS Qualifier.

by **Banija** » Sun Sep 04, 2022 9:00 pm

Banija League Soccer, Year 8 of the S-FPL Era - Results

   Banijan Soccer League      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Busukuma Force              34   24   1   9    82   40  +42    73 - League Champions, Promoted to the S-FPL, Qualify for the LBCT
 2 Rukunbi FC                  34   20   5   9    97   54  +43    65 - Qualify for the Liga B Champions Trophy
 3 Capitol City FC             34   19   8   7    87   50  +37    65 - Qualify for the Liga B Champions Trophy
 4 Hawabark Boulders           34   19   8   7    82   51  +31    65
 5 Umbazi Metropolitan SC      34   17   9   8    74   54  +20    60
 6 Askatasuna FC               34   18   4  12    69   63   +6    58
 7 Herzegovina Phoenix         34   15   6  13    68   60   +8    51
 8 Bunyoro RSC                 34   13  10  11    65   60   +5    49
 9 Igulu City FC               34   11  14   9    75   68   +7    47
10 Sororo City                 34   13   8  13    37   40   −3    47
11 Lwanga Lions                34   11  12  11    69   55  +14    45
12 Kabakono City               34   11  12  11    60   69   −9    45
13 Dukuma SC                   34   11   6  17    43   54  −11    39
14 Isipongo Flash              34    8  11  15    56   72  −16    35
15 Corizova United             34    9   7  18    41   82  −41    34
16 Duntho Sporting Club        34    4  15  15    29   63  −34    27
17 Zakuta City                 34    5   5  24    31   92  −61    20 - Will play in the BLS Qualifer
18 Jaribga Soccer Club         34    2  11  21    17   55  −38    17 - Relegated

BLS Qualifier
Zakuta City v. Abomfa United

First Leg
Zakuta City 1–0 Abomfa United
Second Leg
Abomfa United 0–0 Zakuta City

Zakuta City will remain in Banija's second tier, by virtue of winning this tie, 1-0 on aggregate. Abomfa United, because of their loss, will remain in Banija's regional leagues.

by **Banija** » Mon Jan 23, 2023 5:10 pm

OOC Note: ICly, this is dated before the XVI Summer Olympiad, in Electrum & Les Twin Cities

Domestic Volleyball International Roundup: Dominance on sand while we 'continue to climb' in indoor volleyball

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- There are the 'three major volleyball competitions' ran by the IVF. First, of course, comes the WorldLeague. A competition that we have history in, of course- but have struggled to climb all the way to the mountaintop in that one. Second, we have the Volleyball Champions League. With our two womens' volleyball leagues on the rise, we are making progress there, but progress- we haven't broken through that last ceiling yet. And third, and finally, we've got the International Beach Tour- our best competition. Let's just give you the roundup, eh?

WorldLeague

We got off to a poor start, and simply never recovered. It's a long group stage, yes- but starting 0-2 in a 9 game group stage is not a path for success. And, surprise surprise, it wasn't. The losses were not bad- GGU and Pemecutan are strong, high-quality opponents, but that just put us behind the 8 ball, and things just never got better from there. While we fought back to .500, losses to Mytanija and Quebec, probably the biggest two nations in this sport, really killed our ability to try and find our way to the top 4 of the WorldLeague.

By the time we lost to Bollonich, we were 2-5 and essentially already eliminated with two games to go. A pair of wins at the end were nice, but meaningless. "At the national team level, in these competitions, there is still a big gap between Banija and nations like Quebec, Mytanija, Bollonich, and the GGU. We know how good we are- but we have to see how far we have to go to be able to match up with them. But the efforts are going on strong- especially as we try to prepare the team for the Twin Cities coming up.

Volleyball Champions League

Next, we have the VCL! Banija's two champions were in the competition- the Slobochia Raiders, and Duntho Sporting Club. Duntho, with the seed going to the BEVL, had to enter qualifiers. Their opponent? The Munggu Surfers. Two matches, whoever won the most sets, over the course of the two legs, would be able to advance. Tough stuff- and they grinded it out, using the total of the 10 sets.

Unfortunately, in each location, the Surfers were just a little bit better. The 5th set at home, in the first leg, was an example of pure domination. "For us to play so well during the season, and during the playoffs, to faceplant like that in a do-or-die- extremely disappointing." The head coach told reporters. Banija had gone up 2-0 quickly, but when the Surfers started rallying, they couldn't be stopped. By the time Banija had scored their next point, the Surfers had rattled off 11 in a row. The reverse trip was frustrating as well- after Duntho had taken the first two sets, they dropped three in a row to get eliminated from the VCL. If they had won any of those 3, they would've been in the group stages.

"A huge missed opportunity." Duntho's head coach told reporters. "I hate that taste in our mouth- the chance to get into the CL proper was in our grasp, and we wasted it. We will not forget about this next year."

The Slobochia Raiders, on the other hand, went straight to the Champions League group stages. And they did well once they were there- a .500 record isn't exactly a ton to write home about, but their 3-3 record was enough to put them through to the knockout stages. "It's always tough to advance in these competitions, especially when it's your first go- so I'm ecstatic that we did as well as we did." Slobochia's head coach told reporters. "Now, of course- time to get on with it!" The Raiders went to the quarterfinals of this competition, and actually stunned everyone- launching a huge upset over the Akusha Rovers, winning in 5 sets in Banija, and then in 4 sets in Bollonich.

Suddenly, they looked around, and they were in the semifinals. "Anything's possible, eh?" Their captain told reporters. And the final would be in Banija- just a few hours train ride away, in Jinja City, from Slobochia. Imagine the hype, right? Especially when the first leg was held in Banija, and the Raiders actually won in 5 sets. Everyone had tried to tamper expectations, but they were a win away from the freaking VCL Final. Unfortunately, the mighty OK Rauchnya asserted themselves. They gathered themselves, and won the return leg in straight sets, ending the Raiders season in brutal fashion.

"Look- what a ride this was." The Raiders head coach told reporters. "But this is only the beginning. We've got to do whatever we can to get back to this stage. The climb has started, and now I'm hungry."

International Beach Tour

The tour went extremely well! Banijans took home a pair of titles from two of the 4 tournaments, with Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele making their first splash on the world stage with a win in the Quebec Open. Yobachukwu Jideofor/Halim Belonwu, who are the XV Summer Olympiad gold medalists, followed that up with a win at the Banijan open in Sisonke, to have a great start for the Banijan delegations.

While no Banijans won either of the remaining two tournaments, we still did well beyond that. Yobachukwu Jideofor/Halim Belonwu almost won back-to-back tournaments, but lost the final of the Palmyra Cup in the GGU. And then Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele went to the Final of the Rogerton Open, but a Bollonich pairing won that tournament. The top 16 pairs, out of 24, went to the IBT Finals, and it was no surprise to find Joma Badijye/Kunda Kama, join the two Banijans who earned medals during the Tour, reach the Finals. Three Banijan pairings in the top 5- with Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele at the top.

Success continued in the group stages. The three pairings from Banija went a combined 8-1, with Yobachukwu Jideofor/Halim Belonwu falling to Quebecois pairing Jean-Henri Becker/Alexandra Hong being the lone group stage blemish. But that meant three quarterfinalists- these Banijans could not avoid each other forever, eh? But a good place to be at, surely. That gave us a heavyweight matchup between our last two Olympic gold medalists in beach volleyball- Joma Badijye/Kunda Kama from Istria/Orean, and Yobachukwu Jideofor/Halim Belonwu from Bunjil.

Yobachukwu Jideofor/Halim Belonwu won the national title against this same pairing a few weeks ago, trying to build on their recent Olympic success. But Joma Badijye/Kunda Kama clearly have their eyes on the prize- and the prize is re-reaching the summit of this sport. They were dominant, and won in straight sets, in what was a minor upset but a ratings bonanza back home. The most watched IBT match in Banijan history, pairing Olympic medalists against each other. They made a run to the Final, and guess who was there to join them? Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele, who were looking to make their presence felt.

An all-Banijan Final. At Vreton Park. And, in what certainly was an upset, it would be Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele who win the competition! The young upstarts defeated the grizzled veterans, and claimed Banija's first ever IVF trophy while they were at it. "WHAT A WIN!" Selam Bekele told reporters. "It shows- what happened in the past does not matter. We are here to take the damn throne- and we have ascended to the Summit. I've never had a feeling like this in my life."

by **Banija** » Mon Jan 23, 2023 5:11 pm

Banija Women's Volleyball

There are two professional women's volleyball leagues in Banija. Due to legal fights with one another, teams do not compete across leagues as both claim top status. Each league sends their champion to the VCL. The multiple league thing is not uncommon in Banijan sport, as famously, Banija has 3 national men's basketball leagues who claim DI status.

The first league is the Banija Elite Volleyball League, which is located within the Moravica and Kitara Regions, all on the West Coast. This league is widely considered the stronger of the two leagues. The league consists of 8 teams from the Moravica Region, and 4 from the Kitara Region. This league consists of a strict quadruple round robin- each team plays each other 4 times(twice home, twice away) for a total of 44 games. There are no playoffs- the league champion simply is the team that leads at the end of the season.

Team Locations
Herzegovina Phoenix- Connected with the S-FPL club of the same name. Located in Vdizi, Moravica, just south of Herzegovina City.
North Herzegovina City Rams- located in the northern portion of Herzegovina City, Moravica.
West Beach Gorillas- located in the western portion of Herzegovina City, Moravica.
Iziarad Skyhawks- located in Iziarad, Moravica, a suburb of Istria.
Wakiso Grizzlies- located in Wakiso District, Istria, Moravica..
Rukunbi Dragons- located in Rukunbi, Istria, Moravica.
South Istria Hawks- located in Downtown Istria, Moravica.
Slobochia Raiders- Located in Slobochia, Moravica.
Kitara Athletic Association- Same club as the former IFCF Champions League winners in the S-FPL. Located in Sisonke, Kitara.
Busembe Terriers- Located in Busembe, Kitara.
Kitara Athletic Society- Same club as the team in Banija's regional soccer leagues. Located in Kiala, Kitara.
Sisonke Pistons- Located in Sisonke, Kitara.

SW= Sets Won
SL= Sets Lost
SD = Set Differential(Sets won = sets lost)

Banija Elite Volleyball League
Teams                              Pld    W   L    SW   SL   SD   Pts 
 1 Slobochia Raiders                44   38   6   123   51  +72   114 - League Champions, qualify directly to the Volleyball Champions League
 2 Wakiso Grizzlies                 44   34  10   112   53  +59   102 - Will advance to the Banija VCL Qualifier to compete for a berth in the VCL
 3 Sisonke Pistons                  44   32  12   114   60  +54    96
 4 West Beach Gorillas              44   30  14   102   70  +32    90
 5 Kitara Athletic Association      44   29  15   103   66  +37    87
 6 South Istria Hawks               44   27  17   101   76  +25    81
 7 Rukunbi Dragons                  44   18  26    82   97  −15    54
 8 Taramazna Skyhawks               44   15  29    76  104  −28    45
 9 North Herzegovina City Rams      44   15  29    66  107  −41    45
10 Kitara Athletic Society          44   14  30    60  111  −51    42
11 Herzegovina Phoenix              44    8  36    55  118  −63    24
12 Busembe Terriers                 44    4  40    45  126  −81    12

The BEVL is a quadruple round robin, and there is a purity in that. "One true champion"- no divisions, no conferences, no playoffs- everybody plays everybody an equal amount of times. Just two short season's ago, this led to an incredible amount of parity. The champion had just 27 wins. It was a mad scramble towards the end of the season, half the league was in title contention up until the final day, and it showed how truly deep this league can be, at its best.

My, how long ago those days seem.

Slobochia won the league in dominating form last season, on the back of a stunning 38-6 record to finish out this regular season. And while teams loaded up over the offseason, it was the same result- the Slobochia Raiders absolutely running away with this for back-to-back titles. The celebrations were strong on the west coast, on the back of such a dominant season. "Winning 38 games in a 44 game schedule back-to-back is absolutely an impressive feat for this team." Said the team's head coach. "It shows the consistency and strength of what we do, as a franchise, is working. We won last year- and yet, the hunger remains. Let's get 'em."

But there was a twist this year. For the first time, Banija has earned a third spot in the Volleyball Champions League. Ergo, with two leagues, they have to divvy up that last spot between them- so the second place team will enter the VCL Qualifier.

There was movement elsewhere in the table. The Grizzlies worked their way up into the top 2. And 5 out of the league's 12 teams won over 27 games, the number of wins it took two years ago to win a title in this league. "Look- the continued excellence of a team like Slobochia shows how volleyball is constantly improving over the years here at home." Said Patrick Zervos, the Executive Chairman of the Olympic Committee of Banija. "They're the best team in this league, and they've got a hell of a chance to do some serious damage in the VCL, when that kicks off."

The second league, for sponsorship reasons, is known as the Orange Sky Volleyball Championships, which consists of 16 teams from elsewhere across the country, outside of the Moravica and Kitara Regions. They are divided into two 8 team conferences. Each conference plays a quadruple round robin- there is no interconference play in the regular season. The top two teams in each conference make the playoffs, as well as the next two best teams overall, for 6 total playoff participants. They are sponsored, of course, by Banija's major national airline, Orange Sky.

Duntho Sporting Club enter this season, of course, as the back-to-back champions. Can they threepeat?

Team Locations
Northern Conference
Mynda Mystics- Located in Mynda, Aksum.
Askatasuna Anacondas- Located in Askatasuna, Aksum.
Kwadama Chiefs- Located in Kwadama, Ankole.
Igulu Flying Deer- Located in Igulu, Hangaza.
Jinja Orangutans- Located in Jinja City, Hangaza.
Jinja Jaguars- Located in Jinja City, Hangaza.
Duntho Sporting Club- Same club as the Former S-FPL club with the same name. Located in Duntho, Hangaza.
Aissa Ravens- Located in Aissa, Hangaza.
Southern Conference
Busukuma Kraken- Located in Busukuma, National Capitol Region. (This is the Farf community team, supported primarily by the large Farf community in the city, consists almost entirely of Farf players).
Busukuma Buccaneers- Located in Busukuma, National Capitol Region.
Hoima Archangels- Located in Hoima, Ankole.
Bunyoro RSC- Same club as the BLS soccer team and the BLL lacrosse team. Located in Dodoma, Bunyoro.
Umbazi Metropolitan Sporting Club- Same club as the former S-FPL side. Located in Umbazi, Buganda.
Isipongo White Leopards- Located in Isipongo, Buganda.
Bwubanza Golden Pelicans- Located in Bwubanza, Bunyoro.
Mukeruzi Gladiators- Located in Mukeruzi, Ankole.

Orange Sky Volley Championship- Regular Season

  Northern Conference          Pld    W   L    SW   SL   SD   Pts 
1 Duntho Sporting Club          28   22   6    75   49  +26    66 - Conference champs, qualify for the playoffs
2 Askatasuna Anacondas          28   19   9    70   38  +32    57 - Conference slot #2 in the playoffs
3 Jinja Orangutans              28   18  10    64   46  +18    54 - At-Large berth in the playoffs
4 Kwadama Chiefs                28   14  14    59   53   +6    42
5 Mynda Mystics                 28   13  15    56   61   −5    39
6 Igulu Flying Deer             28   11  17    49   66  −17    33
7 Aissa Ravens                  28    8  20    41   66  −25    24
8 Jinja Jaguars                 28    7  21    38   73  −35    21

  Southern Conference          Pld    W   L    SW   SL   SD   Pts
1 Umbazi Metropolitan SC        28   22   6    72   29  +43    66 - Conference champs, qualify for the playoffs
2 Isipongo White Leopards       28   20   8    67   43  +24    60 - Conference slot #2 in the playoffs
3 Busukuma Kraken               28   19   9    71   43  +28    57 - At-Large berth in the playoffs
4 Hoima Archangels              28   17  11    65   51  +14    51
5 Mukeruzi Gladiators           28   14  14    55   57   −2    42
6 Bunyoro RSC                   28   11  17    45   62  −17    33
7 Busukuma Buccaneers           28    6  22    35   70  −35    18
8 Bwubanza Golden Pelicans      28    3  25    25   80  −55     9

In the playoff round, the six teams are grouped together for a double round robin(10 games, home and away). The top two at the end of the double round robin will advance to the Orange Sky Final Series, which is a best of 5 series- in a 1-2-2 format, with the higher ranked team in the playoff round getting home court advantage.

There used to be a pair of twists in the playoff round- three points added to the earned point total, AND a conference championship used as a tiebreaker. As an experiment, the OSVC decided to get rid of the additional points- meaning that while a conference championship is the first tiebreaker, they will not, at least for this season, add points to the point total.

Orange Sky Volley Championship- Playoff Round

Playoff Round                  Pld    W   L    SW   SL   SD   Pts 
1 Busukuma Kraken              10    7   3    24   16   +8    21 - Advance to the Orange Sky Championship Series
2 Isipongo White Leopards      10    6   4    19   19    0    18 - Advance to the Orange Sky Championship Series
3 Duntho Sporting Club         10    5   5    21   18   +3    15*
4 Askatasuna Anacondas         10    5   5    23   19   +4    15*
5 Jinja Orangutans             10    4   6    17   24   −7    12
6 Umbazi Metropolitan SC       10    3   7    13   21   −8     9

*= Duntho Sporting Club ahead of Askatasuna because Duntho was a conference champion.

The advantage of winning your conference has been greatly reduced, with those 3 points taken away. It was always expected to have an impact, and it did- for the first time in league history(3rd season), neither conference champion will advance to the Orange Sky Final Series. And it also means that the hold of Duntho Sporting Club, on this league, is over. Back-to-back champs, earning a stunning points over 28 games in the regular season, well, made it look like Duntho were well on their way to threepeating. But that is not what happened- in fact, it's the furthest thing.

"They had that target on their back- and we took it off them." Said the Busukuma Kraken's coach, whose team finished top of the table. This means that the league will experience a first-time champion after this season. If the current rules about conference champs being given extra points had been in place last season, the Kraken would have reached the final series. Biggest beneficiaries of the rule change. The White Leopards, too, did well to take advantage of the new rules.

This sets up two teams fighting for their first ever league trophy- the Busukuma Kraken, and the Isipongo White Leopards. Will the capitol club bring the league trophy to a truly big market? Or will Isipongo continue the sport's domination by middle market teams, as Isipongo looks to grab some glory for themselves?

Orange Sky Final Series(Best of 5)- Duntho Sporting Club v. Umbazi Metropolitan Sporting Club

Busukuma Kraken               17  19  30  25  13
Isipongo White Leopards       25  25  28  23  15

Busukuma Kraken               25  17  19  18
Isipongo White Leopards       22  25  25  25

Isipongo White Leopards       25  25  25 - White Leopards complete three match sweep to become league champions
Busukuma Kraken               13  23  20

Bring out the brooms, lads! With playoff formats, things are all about peaking at the right time. And boy, did the Isipongo White Leopards do that. It started close, but as the series went on and on, the White Leopards really started to get a grip on this game. The series opened with a pair of matches in Busukuma, the national capitol. In front of a packed, rowdy house, Game 1 was probably one of the best games that we've ever seen on the domestic set here. The White Leopards came out swinging, taking the first two sets and silencing the home crowd. But then, the Kraken came storming back. With a never say die attitude, they were down 24-22 in set 3, about to get taken out on a clean sweep. But they battled back, refusing to get eliminated, and won that set, 30-28. Another nail-biter, 2 point win in the 4th set, gave them all the momentum for a fifth set.

"Look- it's hard to win a championship." The White Leopards captain told reporters, while holding the trophy after game 3. "But our coach always preached it- title-winning mentality." She went on to talk about how the team, with the momentum against them and the crowd back at full force, was able to drown out the noise. "We listened to our coach, got into the right headspace, we knew we were the better team- we just had to show 'em." And that's what they did. Never too high, never too low, as they battled their way to a 5 set, 15-13 win to steal game 1, on the road. It was a win that seemed to crush their hosts- and the White Leopards could smell blood in the water.

And as one does, they went in for the kill. The Kraken won the first set of game 2, 25-22. And that's the last set they'd win all series. The White Leopards ripped off three in a row to win game 2 on the road, as well, leaving the Kraken essentially down for the count. And when they came home, to Isipongo, with two chances to win this title- they weren't going to put it to waste. "The thing about this sport- you've got to step down and never let up." The coach told reporters. "Comebacks can always happen- we've got to stay hungry. Ain't nothing is won yet." But it was about to be. The White Leopards won in dominating fashion, winning in straight sets to earn their first ever league title.

VCL Qualifier

For the first time ever, there will be an interleague match. It will determine who will earn the third and final VCL Slot- the Wakiso Grizzlies will take on the Busukuma Kraken, for Banija's third and final VCL slot. The leagues originally wanted that third slot to rotate between them- so the BEVL to get 2 slots this year, and then the OSVC to get 2 slots next year, and so on. But Patrick Zervos, the Executive Chairman of the OCB, rejected that. "Look- it's best for these slots to get determined through competition." And while the weirdness of the interleague match being, not between champions, but runners-up, it was a great contest anyways.

He wanted a home and home series, but the leagues, true to form, could not agree on who would get home court advantage. Ergo, we had one, decisive match, around halfway between the sites- Banijan volleyball descended on Kabakono.

Busukuma Kraken         25  22  25  15
Wakiso Grizzlies        21  25  27  25 - Clinch berth in the Volleyball Champions League

The neutral site idea was a success, with a packed house at Kalif F. Vvuna Arena in Kabakono. While the two sides split the first two sets, however, it was the Grizzlies who got stronger over time, and eventually sent the Kraken home, packing. First, scratching and crawling their way- but then, domination. The Grizzlies were cruising in the final set, and celebrated hard.

"We love to see that we got this third slot- what a showcase of the diversity of talent in Banija." Loyola-Istria's former AD told reporters. "Hopefully we can do more of these." The suits behind these leagues, however, do not seem very up for that- so we'll see if some sort of rotational plan comes forward in the future. But for now, eh- who's complaining? What a contest.

Women's Beach Volleyball

In women's beach volleyball, Banija is fortunate enough to have the three pairs of Olympic gold medalists from the XIV, XV, and XVI Summer Olympiad.

However, a new generation is taking charge. The gold medalists from the XV Summer Olympiad(Yobachukwu Jideofor/Halim Belonwu), are announcing their retirement from international volleyball. The gold medalists from the XIV Summer Olympiad(Joma Badijye/Kunda Kama), who also won a silver medal at the XVI Summer Olympiad, as well as finished second in the last International Beach Tour, have also announced their retirement from international volleyball. With those retirements, the beach volleyball scene is as open as its ever been, in years.

Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele, as the defending IBT champions, as well as the defending XVI Summer Olympic gold medalists, will automatically be the #1 seed for Banija's WBVC Qualification Tournament. There have been a series of qualifying tournaments held across the country for the final seven spots in Banijan Qualifying, which is where we'll pick up coverage from. Those, via various metrics, will be ranked 2-8 for this tournament.

The quarterfinal, semifinal, and 3rd place qualifier rounds are best of 3, while the final round is best of 5. All games from the quarterfinals round on are played in Istria.

WBVC Qualification Tournament- Seeding
#1 Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele
#8 Lia Amore/Eden Eyoab

#4 Ifrax Kiwu/Helena Mutette
#5 Sheba Ezrah/Makeda Googombe

#3 Emerta Bayissa/Jamiila Lutaaya
#6 Zena Azim/Grace Azim

#2 Zanta Abate/Sarah Teoflyos
#7 Nashrat Negasi/Ambai Belendia

WBVC Qualification Tournament- Quarterfinals(Best of 3)

#1 Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele  v. #8 Lia Amore/Eden Eyoab

Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele          21  21
Lia Amore/Eden Eyoab                  8  16

Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele          21  18  15
Lia Amore/Eden Eyoab                 13  21  13

Youdit Brehane & Selam Bekele win series 2-0(4 sets to 1)

#4 Ifrax Kiwu/Helena Mutette v. #5 Sheba Ezrah/Makeda Googombe

Ifrax Kiwu/Helena Mutette            21  17   6
Sheba Ezrah/Makeda Googombe          16  21  15

Ifrax Kiwu/Helena Mutette            16  21  17
Sheba Ezrah/Makeda Googombe          21  16  15

Ifrax Kiwu/Helena Mutette            21  20  12
Sheba Ezrah/Makeda Googombe          15  22  15

Sheba Ezrah & Makeda Googombe win series 2-1(5 sets to 4)

#3 Emerta Bayissa/Jamiila Lutaaya v. #6 Zena Azim/Grace Azim

Emerta Bayissa/Jamiila Lutaaya       16  21  15
Zena Azim/Grace Azim                 21  12   8

Emerta Bayissa/Jamiila Lutaaya       21  19  16
Zena Azim/Grace Azim                 12  21  14

Emerta Bayissa & Jamiila Lutaaya win series 2-0(4 sets to 2)

#2 Zanta Abate/Sarah Teoflyos v. #7 Nashrat Negasi/Ambai Belendia

Zanta Abate/Sarah Teoflyos           21  21
Nashrat Negasi/Ambai Belendia         6  15

Zanta Abate/Sarah Teoflyos           12  12
Nashrat Negasi/Ambai Belendia        21  21

Zanta Abate/Sarah Teoflyos           21  15   4
Nashrat Negasi/Ambai Belendia        14  21  15

Nashrat Negasi & Ambai Belendia wins series 2-1(4 sets to 3)

WBVC Qualification Tournament- Semifinals

#1 Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele  v. #5 Sheba Ezrah/Makeda Googombe

Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele          14  21  16
Sheba Ezrah/Makeda Googombe          21  12  14

Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele          21  21
Sheba Ezrah/Makeda Googombe          18  16

Youdit Brehane & Selam Bekele win series 2-0(4 sets to 1) and clinches berth on the International Beach Tour[/i]

#3 Emerta Bayissa/Jamiila Lutaaya v. #7 Nashrat Negasi/Ambai Belendia

Emerta Bayissa/Jamiila Lutaaya       10  15
Nashrat Negasi/Ambai Belendia        21  21

Emerta Bayissa/Jamiila Lutaaya       21  12  14
Nashrat Negasi/Ambai Belendia        11  21  16

Nashrat Negasi & Ambai Belendia win series 2-0(4 sets to 1) and clinches berth on the International Beach Tour

Youdit Brehane & Selam Bekele were just young upstarts the last time we did this. Think about that. Had to barge through qualifiers- Brehane, in an interview at the Olympiad, estimated that they had to beat 12 different pairs of opponents to even reach the International Beach Tour- just showing how deep the beach bench can get in Banija. But think about what they've done. They've risen to the cream of the crop in this country. They started at a small qualifier in Aissa, just trying to qualify out of Hangaza for this last time. And now- they're on top of the world. International Beach Tour champions, defeating former Olympic gold medalists Joma Badijye/Kunda Kama in the final of that tournament. Then, getting their own Olympic gold medals in the Twin Cities, defeating that same pair of athletes.

They're even the reigning Commonwealth champs, winning gold at the most recent QCommonwealth Games. But what's the only thing they haven't done? Won a national championship. They don't have any 'champions of Banija' decorations for their wall. They have champions for Banija- but not of. And they're looking to rectify that by winning their tournament. And they've just now, taking advantage of their byes to the quarterfinals(because of their Olympic medals), cruising all the way to the Final.

Right now, though, the story is about the challenger. Nashrat Negasi & Ambai Belendia sit as the #7 seed out of the final 8, who had to claw and scratch their way to get here. But all that matters is that you get here, right? They're in full position to take advantage of this. Yet another upset has put them into the beach tour, and on the verge of a national title. "We have to beat the best if we want to be the best- we are not scared of the challenge." They told reporters. "The lady's across from us in a couple of night's time, have a well-earned reputation and championship pedigree. It's our time to take that pedigree, and make it our own- and it starts tonight."

WBVC Qualification- Final Round(best of 5)

National Championship Series- #1 Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele v. #7 Nashrat Negasi/Ambai Belendia

Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele          21  21
Nashrat Negasi/Ambai Belendia        19   7

Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele          19  21  15
Nashrat Negasi/Ambai Belendia        21  14  11

Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele          21  18  14
Nashrat Negasi/Ambai Belendia        14  21  16

Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele          13  21  13
Nashrat Negasi/Ambai Belendia        21  19  15

Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele          15  21  13
Nashrat Negasi/Ambai Belendia        21  11  15 - National Champions

Nashrat Negasi & Ambai Belendia win series 3-2(each side won 7 sets)

Third place IBT Qualifier- #3 Youdit Brehane/Selam Bekele v. #5 Saida Asamenew/Hiwet Abal

Sheba Ezrah/Makeda Googombe          14  21  15
Emerta Bayissa/Jamiila Lutaaya       21  12   4

Sheba Ezrah/Makeda Googombe          21  21 - Clinch final berth at the International Beach Tour
Emerta Bayissa/Jamiila Lutaaya       19  11

Sheba Ezrah & Makeda Googombe win series 2-0(4 sets to 1) and clinch berth on the International Beach Tour

Is this not the most stunning set of results you've ever seen!! A pair of upsets at the final stages, that will shake how everything plays out here in Banija. First, of course, we'll start with the IBT Qualifier. A huge matchup, even if a title is no longer available- the opportunity to go on the tour is massive. "Look- it gives a huge advantage- the 3rd place isn't even the relevant part here." Said Patrick Zervos, the Executive Chairman of the Olympic Committee. And the matches were intense. But it was Sheba Ezrah & Makeda Googombe who would get to go onto the tour. Dominating performances where they just wore their opponent down.

But the stunner wasn't that. It was the final. Youdit Brehane & Selam Bekele were huge favorites- which makes sense, considering their pedigree. They had that pedigree, and were motivated. "We've never won a national title." Brehane told reporters before game 1. "They're hard to win! We've never finished first place in this competition, the primary national one, or in Olympic, or even Commonwealth Qualifiers. We know how to win tournaments- but we want to win at home as well." The opportunity was there for the taking. Especially with the 7th seeded pair, Nashrat Negasi/Ambai Belendia, blasting their biggest challengers.

Looks like that didn't matter, eh? Despite the favorites taking the first two matches of this, the underdogs never wavered. Negasi & Belendia slowly clawed their way back- winning three consecutive matches where it all came down to the final couple of points, on the last set. You should've seen the tears flowing when they clinched. "WE"RE THE BEST F'ING PLAYERS IN ALL OF BANIJA!" Negasi almost bellowed at the microphone. "We've got our national title now! And like I said- our time is coming. We're gonna go win ourselves a damn title on that tour."

by **Banija** » Mon Jan 23, 2023 5:53 pm

Greater Banijan Hockey League Season 7 - Regular Season & Postseason

Teams play an 8 game round robin against divisional opponents only for 56 regular season games. 2 points for a win, 1 for a draw. This season all games will end in 60 minutes- there are no shootouts, just regulation draws, regulation wins, and regulation losses.

Playoff Qualification for the GBHL remains the same as last season. The top team in each conference is declared the conference champion. They get a bye to the GBHL semifinals, and automatic bids to the HCL. The next four best teams by record(regardless of conference), will play in the HCL Qualifying Series. The #3 team will play the #6 team, and the #4 team will play the #5 team. Both shall be Best of 3, with all three games hosted by the higher seed. The winners shall advance to the GBHL Semifinals, and earn the last two qualification spots to the HCL. The winners shall also advance to the semifinals, with the highest seeded advancing team to play the conference champion with the worse record, while the other conference champion plays the other advancing team. Both of these series will be Best of 7(2-3-2). The two winners of the HCL Qualifying Series shall also clinch the last two GBHL berths in the HCL.

The winners of the semifinal series will play in a best of seven in the GBHL championship series(2-2-1-1-1), with home ice given to the team with more points in the regular season.

Southwest                        Pld   W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Mansfield Warriors             56   40   8   8   127   26 +101    88 - Conference Champion, Auto HCL Qualifier
2 St. Jakob Crusaders            56   36  11   9   120   39  +81    83 - Advance to HCL Qualifying Series
3 Shamkir Whalers                56   35   9  12    99   39  +60    79 - Advance to HCL Qualifying Series
4 Istria Golden Bears            56   35   7  14    97   42  +55    77
5 Little Istria Tigerhawks       56   27  13  16   105   47  +58    67
6 Gold Coast Thunder             56    9   5  42    26  128 −102    23
7 Stalliongrad Mountaineers      56    7   4  45    28  156 −128    18
8 Kapetägien Kestrels            56    4   5  47    22  147 −125    13

North                            Pld   W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Quebec Grizzlies               56   42  10   4   127   18 +109    94 - Conference Champion, Auto HCL Qualifier
2 Jaromirgrad Huskies            56   37   8  11   136   29 +107    82 - Advance to HCL Qualifying Series
3 Youngstown Yellowhammers       56   35   9  12   100   43  +57    79 - Advance to HCL Qualifying Series
4 Schemerdrecht Caribou          56   32   7  17   102   41  +61    71
5 Bouveil Barracudas             56   25   7  24    79   80   −1    57
6 Maal Pioneers                  56    8  13  35    29  120  −91    29
7 Goldstaff Cocodragons          56    7   6  43    22  145 −123    20
8 New Istria Eagles              56    4   8  44    24  143 −119    16

HCL Qualifying Series Standings

Squads                           Pld   W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
2 St. Jakob Crusaders            56   36  11   9   120   39  +81    83
2 Jaromirgrad Huskies            56   37   8  11   136   29 +107    82
3 Shamkir Whalers                56   35   9  12    99   39  +60    79
3 Youngstown Yellowhammers       56   35   9  12   100   43  +57    79

Playoff Matchups
Conference champions St. Jakob Crusaders and Quebec Grizzlies earn byes to the GBHL Semifinals.
St. Jakob will host Youngstown in a 3 game HCL Qualifying Series, with all three games to be played in St. Jakob, Teusland
Jaromoirgrad will host Shamkir in a 3 game HCL Qualifying series, with all three games to be played in Jaromoirgrad, Savojarna.

Game 1
St. Jakob Crusaders 0–2 Youngstown Yellowhammers
Jaromirgrad Huskies 2–2 Shamkir Whalers (2–3 SO)

Game 2
St. Jakob Crusaders 0–0 Youngstown Yellowhammers (0–1 SO)
Jaromirgrad Huskies 1–0 Shamkir Whalers

Game 3
Jaromirgrad Huskies 1–0 Shamkir Whalers

The Huskies advance, 2-1, to take on the Mansfield Warriors in the semifinal. The Yellowhammers advance, 2-0, to take on the Quebec Grizzlies in the semifinals.

GBHL Semifinals

Game 1
Quebec Grizzlies 0–1 Youngstown Yellowhammers
Mansfield Warriors 1–2 Jaromirgrad Huskies

Game 2
Quebec Grizzlies 1–0 Youngstown Yellowhammers (Series tied 1-1)
Mansfield Warriors 2–1 Jaromirgrad Huskies (Series tied 1-1)

Game 3
Youngstown Yellowhammers 1–2 Quebec Grizzlies (Grizzlies lead 2-1)
Jaromirgrad Huskies 1–0 Mansfield Warriors (Huskies lead 2-1)

Game 4
Youngstown Yellowhammers 2–3 Quebec Grizzlies (Grizzlies lead 3-1)
Jaromirgrad Huskies 0–1 Mansfield Warriors (Series tied 2-2)

Game 5
Youngstown Yellowhammers 0–0 Quebec Grizzlies (0–1 SO). Grizzlies advance, 4 games to 1, to the GBHL Championship Series. 
Jaromirgrad Huskies 0–2 Mansfield Warriors (Warriors lead 3-2)

Game 6
Mansfield Warriors 0–0 Jaromirgrad Huskies (1–0 SO). Warriors advance, 4 games to 2, to the GBHL Championship Series.

GBHL Championship Series

Game 1
Quebec Grizzlies 0–0 Mansfield Warriors (2–1 SO)

Game 2
Quebec Grizzlies 1–1 Mansfield Warriors (1–2 OT). Series tied 1-1. 

Game 3
Mansfield Warriors 2–3 Quebec Grizzlies. Grizzlies lead 2-1.

Game 4
Mansfield Warriors 1–0 Quebec Grizzlies. Series tied 2-2. 

Game 5
Quebec Grizzlies 0–1 Mansfield Warriors. Warriors lead 3-2.

Game 6
Mansfield Warriors 0–0 Quebec Grizzlies (1–0 OT). Warriors WIN their first ever GBHL championship.

by **Busoga Islands** » Mon Jan 23, 2023 6:25 pm

"Tear it up" - Busoga Islands secure radical changes and expansion to Banija's lower tiers, to help improve football on the islands

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- "it is clear- we have identified the problem, and we have a practical solution that is going to improve things here, in Banija and the Busoga Islands." Said the Chairman of the Busoga Islander Soccer Association. "We needed to revamp the entire pyramid, to ensure that our teams get fair access to the Shango-Fogoa Premier League. And, of course, to ensure that we can get more and more Busogans the opportunity to play first-team football in one of the best integrated pyramids in Atlantian Oceania."

A lot of talk, eh? Revamping the entire pyramid? Let's break it down.

Adding a regional league; Four Club Guarantee

This is the easiest place to start. We're going to start with the regional leagues. What's happening here? The Banijan/Busogan pyramid is adding a 5th regional league, to be on equal footing with the other 4 leagues. Where's the fifth regional league going to be based? Entirely in the Busoga Islands. "The Busoga Islands have been experiencing some major population growth as well, alongside Banija." Said the BISA Chairman. "Having only 6 professional teams is way too small. And we want to have some sort of national competition. Yet- we understand the level of football in this country, especially if we're doing radical expansion."

That's why the league will be in Banija's third tier. Presently, there are 6 professional teams on the Busoga Islands- 2 in the BSL(the second tier), and four in the Northwestern League(the third tier). But this goes along with the "Four Club Guarantee". What the hell is that? Well, it is that the Busoga Islands, at all times, will be guaranteed four clubs in the top two tiers (BSL & S-FPL). How does that work with promotion/relegation, and the general protection of the spirit of competition? We'll explain shortly.

But the four Busogan teams in the Northwestern League will leave the competition- 2 for the newly expanded BSL(to be explained later), and two more for the newly created Busogan National Division- Banija's 5th third tier league. It will have a whopping 8 expansion teams to fill out its ranks. How will the Northwestern League, now reduced to just 6 Moravican teams operate? It will expand as well- adding four more teams in Banija to get back to a round 10. Where exactly that will happen, well, is undecided- but obviously it'll be focused in northwestern Banija- Moravica primarily, but potentially Aksum or Western Hangaza could get some expansion as well.

There will also be two more expansion teams in other parts of the country, as the BSL expands from 18 to 22.

Four Club Guarantee - BSL Expansion

There are currently 2 Busogan teams in the 18 member BSL. We're going to expand that. The BSL is going to expand from 18 teams, to 22 teams. Two more Busogan squads, and two more Banijan squads. And the four club guarantee- 4 teams from Busoga guaranteed in the top 4. So this is how it will work. Banijan pro/rel will work as it does now. Between the four regional leagues in Banija, with one automatic promotion, and a second going to a promotion playoff. But the Busogans will run pro/rel almost on a separate path. The worst Busogan team out of the 4 will be reelgated to the Busogan National League, and that league's champion will get promoted. Naturally, however, there are always conditions.

Because, of course, what if all 4 Busogan teams are really freaking good?

Worst Finishing Busogan team finishes 10th or worse
- Automatically relegated, Busogan National League champion promoted

Worst Finishing Busogan team finishes 8th or 9th
- One game promotion playoff, hosted by the Busogan National League champion

Worst Finishing Busogan team finishes 4th through 7th
- One game promotion playoff, hosted by the BSL side

And of course, the more likely scenario... What if everyone is bad??

All Busogan teams finishing 18th or worse subject to relegation Playoff
- Obviously, this excludes any automatically relegated team. But if we have three teams in the bottom 5, for example, those other two would take on the 2nd and 3rd place sides in the Busogan National League for the right to be promoted.

That way, there are always four Busogan teams in the BSL- but they are constantly competing for their spots. It is easier for Busogan sides at-large to get to the BSL, but it makes it harder for Busogan sides to keep their spots(since bottom 5 puts you at risk of relegation, instead of traditional bottom 2 or 3).

How will they choose 4 BSL Expansion Sides?

Undecided. But you know these Banijan suits. A combination of sporting merit, and cold, hard, cash. You like these moves? You hate 'em! Drop a line! Everything is changing.

by **Banija** » Tue Jan 24, 2023 1:43 pm

OOC Note: These are last season's results, coinciding with the most recent S-FPL season, aka the previous IFCF cutoff. Just scorinated for logistical purposes.

Banijan Lower Leagues, Year 9 of the S-FPL Era - Results

Banijan Regional Leagues

   Northwestern League         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Barmos United                36   24   9   3   108   39  +69    81 - League champion, promoted to the BSL
 2 Suwawa FC                    36   21   7   8   112   48  +64    70
 3 Taramazna United             36   19  11   6   115   61  +54    68
 4 AFC Kosactus                 36   15   7  14    59   67   −8    52
 5 Eastern Moravica FC          36   12  12  12    64   49  +15    48
 6 Tezirbu Foxes                36   12   9  15    32   38   −6    45
 7 Nezrouch Rovers              36    8  14  14    66   81  −15    38
 8 Slobochia Bears              36    7  10  19    50  116  −66    31
 9 Koszagard City               36    7   8  21    36   98  −62    29
10 Tripoli Foresters            36    5  13  18    29   74  −45    28

   Lower Coastal League        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Jarigba Soccer Club          36   25   5   6   114   50  +64    80 - League champion, promoted to the BSL
 2 Nsade United                 36   21   4  11    97   56  +41    67
 3 Bwubanza City SC             36   20   6  10    98   53  +45    66
 4 Baleweye FC                  36   20   4  12    95   78  +17    64
 5 Mamari City                  36   18   7  11   100   60  +40    61
 6 Kitara Athletic Society      36   16   6  14    53   58   −5    54
 7 Kwadama Dojo                 36   10   4  22    57  111  −54    34
 8 Djoro Athletic               36    9   6  21    44   96  −52    33
 9 AFC Akwadua                  36    7   6  23    41   91  −50    27
10 Dimbogourou SC               36    6   8  22    59  105  −46    26

   Northern League             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Luguyala Patriots            36   21  10   5    98   49  +49    73 - League champion, promoted to the BSL
 2 AFC Okahavi                  36   21   7   8    83   56  +27    70
 3 Cerenus United               36   20   8   8   107   51  +56    68
 4 Garixas City                 36   19   8   9    89   55  +34    65
 5 Okakameb City                36   19   8   9    85   54  +31    65
 6 Gadive City                  36   13   6  17    50   74  −24    45
 7 Nanami Dragons               36   10   7  19    69   95  −26    37
 8 Koksho City                  36    9   6  21    44   99  −55    33
 9 Thayaferu United             36    8   8  20    71   85  −14    32
10 Selekawe Knights             36    2   8  26    30  108  −78    14

   Southern League             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Amaku City SC                36   20   8   8    83   34  +49    68 - League champion, promoted to the BSL
 2 Busemlu Park SC              36   18  11   7    70   38  +32    65
 3 Abomfa United                36   20   5  11    53   27  +26    65
 4 Pumbasa Boars                36   18  10   8    87   53  +34    64
 5 Boufaya Ravens               36   17  10   9    61   39  +22    61
 6 Byakado City                 36   16  11   9    75   44  +31    59
 7 Kigagana Mountaineers        36   14   7  15    39   35   +4    49
 8 Dodoma City SC               36   10   5  21    58   94  −36    35
 9 Mukegara Warriors            36    5  12  19    38   66  −28    27
10 Umbazi FA                    36    1   3  32    27  161 −134     6

Banijan Soccer League

   Banijan Soccer League      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Hawabark Boulders           34   24   6   4   110   31  +79    78 - League champion, promoted to the S-FPL
 2 Lakiska SC                  34   18   8   8    74   53  +21    62
 3 Igulu City FC               34   17  10   7    66   47  +19    61
 4 Rukunbi FC                  34   15  12   7    58   44  +14    57
 5 Lwanga Lions                34   15   8  11    77   71   +6    53
 6 Askatasuna FC               34   15   7  12    47   37  +10    52
 7 Corizova United             34   15   7  12    62   56   +6    52
 8 Herzegovina Phoenix         34   14   4  16    65   71   −6    46
 9 Dukuma SC                   34   13   7  14    36   42   −6    46
10 Kabakono City               34   12   9  13    49   47   +2    45
11 Umbazi Metropolitan SC      34   10  14  10    57   70  −13    44
12 Capitol City FC             34   10  12  12    63   60   +3    42
13 Isipongo Flash              34   10  11  13    57   62   −5    41
14 Bunyoro RSC                 34   10  11  13    58   74  −16    41
15 Duntho Sporting Club        34    8  10  16    38   56  −18    34
16 Ogbordu Diamond FC          34    8   7  19    20   44  −24    31
17 Sororo City                 34    7   9  18    20   39  −19    30
18 Zakuta City                 34    6   6  22    26   79  −53    24 - Relegated to the regional leagues

Promotion Relegation for Season 10 in the S-FPL era
Third Tier to Second Tier
With expansion, and a Busogan team winning a regional league, all four league champions will be promoted. The three Banijan champions will be promoted, taking the place of whoever is relegated from the BSL, plus the 2 Banijan expansion slots. The Busogan champion will take one of the Busogan expansion slots, while the other three Busogan teams will have a mini-playoff for the fourth and final BSL expansion slot.

The last place team in the BSL will be relegated. There will be no promotion/relegation playoff- so the second last team in the BSL will stay in the BSL- nothing to fear.

Second Tier to First Tier
The Busembe Timberwolves will be relegated into the BSL from the S-FPL, while the Hawabark Boulders will be promoted from the BSL back into the S-FPL.

Busogan Promotion Playoff
(All games played in Nezrouch, since they finished the highest in the table of the three remaining Busogan sides at the end of the season. Single round-robin, group winner goes)

Matchday 1
Nezrouch Rovers 2–1 Tezirbu Foxes

Matchday 2
Tripoli Foresters 1–0 Tezirbu Foxes

Matchday 3
Nezrouch Rovers 1–1 Tripoli Foresters

Promotion Playoff        Pld   W   D   L     GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Nezrouch Rovers         2    1   1   0     3    2   +1     4 - Earns promotion into the BSL on Goals For tiebreaker
2 Tripoli Foresters       2    1   1   0     2    1   +1     4
3 Tezirbu Foxes           2    0   0   2     1    3   −2     0

by **Banija** » Wed Jan 25, 2023 8:01 pm

Banija's Regional Soccer Leagues in the S-FPL Era- Year 10

The Royal Banijan Soccer Association(RBSA), in conjunction with the Busoga Islander Soccer Association(BISA). is proud to present the third tier of the soccer pyramid in both Banija and the Busoga Islands- the Regional League system. The Northwestern League no longer exists, having been split into the Moravican State League, and the Busogan National League. They will join the Lower Coastal League, the Northern League, and the Southern League as the two nation's third tier now consists of 50 teams, spread across 5 leagues.

This will be the nineteenth season of full integration of the Regional League System into the Banijan soccer pyramid. Years 1-9 this served as the 2nd tier of the Banijan soccer pyramid, but now it is in its 10th season as the country's third tier with the formation of the Shango-Fogoa Premier League. There is no relegation as this is the final professional tier in the Banijan league system. Promotion happens on a national basis- separate promotion/relegation process for the Busogan teams, as the Banijan teams.

For the Banijan teams, the four regional champions will enter into a promotion playoff against each other. Randomly paired against each other for a two legged playoff(away goals rule still in effect in Banija), with a Promotion Playoff Final between the winners of the ties at the Stadium of the Restoration. Winner goes up to the BSL(2nd tier), while the last placed Banijan side in the BSL is relegated to the regional leagues. There is potential for a second team- the Promotion Playoff Final loser will advance to the BSL Qualifier. That is a two-legged tie against the second worst Banijan side in the BSL. First leg hosted by the BSL side, the second leg hosted by the Banijan team, with the winner getting into the BSL.

Of course, the Corizova rule remains in place- although functionally reset by the promotion of all four champions last year. The Corizova rule is this- any team that wins their regional league for three seasons in a row, earns automatic promotion to the BSL(without having to go through the Promotion Playoff). Of course, while that has always been a rule, it has never come into play.

On the Busogan side, they have their own set of rules. The champion is promoted, and if the worst finishing Busogan team in the BSL finishes 10th or worse, then that is automatic. If the worst finishing Busogan team is 9th or 8th, there is a one game playoff, hosted by the Busogan National League champion. If the worst finishing Busogan team in the BSL finishes 4th through 7th, the one game playoff is hosted by that very Busogan BSL side. If the worst finishing Busogan team is third or better(this would require for there to be at least one Busogan team in the S-FPL), then there is no pro/rel that season.

Of course, that's extremely unlikely considering how Busogan teams have generally performed since the beginning of the modern era. On the other hand, there could be multiple promotions/relegations. Any Busogan team that finishes 18th or worse(out of 22) in the BSL, must 'earn their place' in the league. So, for example, if only one team is 18th or worse- then they are automatically relegated. But what if, for example, three of the four Busogan teams in the BSL finish 18th or worse? Then the worst team is automatically relegated- but the other two would play in playoffs for their BSL slot. The second worst team would play the #2 team in the Busogan National League, while the third worst team would play the #3 team in the Busogan National League- those games, also one game playoffs, hosted by the National League sides.

You with us? Without further ado! The 50 regional league sides in Banija and the Busoga Islands!

Busogan National League
Consists only of teams from the Busoga Islands
(Only the Foxes and Foresters are pre-existing, coming from the Northwestern League. The other 8 teams are expansion teams- mixture of former amateur squads, and straight up brand new enterprises.
1. Tezirbu Foxes. TZF. Location: Tezirbu, North Island, Busoga. Color: Green.

2. Tripoli Foresters. TRI. Location: Tripoli, North Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Green.

3. Beirutspor. BET. Location: Beirut, North Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Red. Expansion team.

4. Independence FK. IND. Location: Dukuma, North Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Blue. Expansion team.

5. Castra Bostra FK. Location: Dukuma, North Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Black and Yellow. Expansion team.

6. Kocakhan AFC. Location: Kocakhan, North Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Purple. Expansion Team.

7. Altica FC. Location: Altica, South Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Red. Expansion Team.

8. Osmazar Wallabies. Location: Osmazar, South Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Green. Expansion Team.

9. Serizar FC. Location: Serizar, South Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Blue. Expansion Team.

10. Lakiska Kangaroos. Location: Lakiska, South Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Red. Expansion Team.

The Moravican First Division
Region- Moravica.
1. Taramazna United. TMU. Location: Taramazna, Moravica. Color: Blue.

2. AFC Kosactus. AFCK. Location: Kosactus, Moravica. Color: Red.

3. Eastern Moravica Football Club. EMFC. Location: Iziarad, Moravica. Color: Scarlet.

4. Slobochia Bears. SBB. Location: Slobochia, Moravica. Color: Purple.

5. Koszagard City. KZC. Location: Koszagard, Moravica. Color: Orange.

6. Suwawa FC. SFC. Location: Suwawa, Moravica. Color: Green.

7. Lake Wakiso AFC. Location: Burusazi, Moravica. Located on the shores of Lake Wakiso, in the interior of the Moravica Region. Color: Blue. Expansion team.

8. New Olympus FC. Location: Lower East Side, Istria, Moravica. Color: Black and Gold. Expansion team.

9. Ruhanga SC. Location: Ruhanga, Moravica. Color: Green. Expansion team.

10. Gazaea Thunder. Location: Gazea, Moravica. Color: Purple. Expansion team.

The Lower Coastal League
Regions: Ankole, Kitara, National Capitol Region
1. Nsade United. NDU. Location: Nsade, Ankole. Colors: Blue.

2. Baleweye Football Club. BFC. Location: Baleweye, Ankole. Colors: Turquoise.

3. Mamari City. MMC. Loction: Mamari, Kitara. Colors: Blue.

4. Kitara Athletic Society. KAS. Location: Kiala, Kitara. Colors: Pink.

5. Kwadama Dojo. KWD. Location: Kwadama, Ankole. Colors: Red.

6. Dioro Athletic. DJA. Location: Djoro, Kitara. Colors: Green.

7. Dimbogourou Sporting Club. DSC. Location: Dimbogourou, Ankole. Colors: Purple.

.
8. AFC Akwadua. AKW. Location: Akwadua, Kitara. Colors: Blue.

9. Kiruvya Bulls. AKW. Location: Kiruvya, Kitara.. Colors: Red. Expansion Team.

10. Zakuta City. ZKC. Location: Zakuta, Ankole. Located in the Uvibe Valley suburbs of Hoima. Colors: Green.

Northern League
Regions: Hangaza & Aksum.
1. Cerenus United. CNU. Location: Cerenus, Aksum. Colors: Pink.

2. AFC Okahavi. OKH. Location: Okahavi, Aksum. Colors: Red.

3. Garixas City. GXC. Location: Garixas, Hangaza. Colors: Blue.

4. Koksho City. KSH. Location: Koksho, Aksum. Colors: Green.

5. Thayaferu United. TYF. Location: Thayaferu, Aksum. Colors: Pink.

6. Nanami Dragons. NNI. Location: Jinja City, Hangaza. Colors: Orange.

7. Okakameb City. OKB. Location: Okakameb, Hangaza. Colors: Orange.

8. Gadive City. GDC. Location: Gadive City, Hangaza. Colors: Red.

9. Selekawe Knights. KNT. Location: Jinja City, Hangaza. Colors: Blue.

10. Pagazi Triceratopses. Location: Pagazi, Aksum. Color: Red. Expansion team.

Southern League
Regions: Buganda & Bunyoro
1. Busemlu Park Sporting Club. BSM. Location: Busemlu Park, Buganda. Colors: Orange.

2. Abomfa United. ABM. Location: Abomfa, Buganda. Colors: Red.

3. Pumbasa Boars. PUM. Location: Pumbasa, Buganda. Colors: Orange.

[/quote]
4. Boufaya Ravens. BFY. Location: Boufaya, Buganda. Colors: Blue.

5. Byakado City. BYK. Location: Byakado, Bunyoro. Colors: Orange.

6. Kigagana Mountaineers. KGG. Location: Kigagana, Bunyoro. Colors: Blue.

7. Dodoma City Sporting Club. DCSC. Location: Dodoma, Bunyoro. Colors: Green.

8. Umbazi Footballers Association. UFA. Location: Umbazi, Buganda. Colors: Red.

9. Mukegara Warriors. MKG. Location: Mukegara, Bunyoro. Colors: Green.

10. Bwubanza City Soccer Club. BCSC. Location: Bwubanza, Bunyoro. Colors: Blue

by **Banija** » Wed Jan 25, 2023 10:32 pm

Banija's Regional Soccer Leagues in the S-FPL Era- Year 10 Results

What we've all been waiting for!

   Busogan National League     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Tezirbu Foxes                36   18  10   8    34   19  +15    64 - League champion, earns Promotion to the BSL
 2 Beirutspor                   36   16  10  10    68   50  +18    58
 3 Kocakhan AFC                 36   16  10  10    29   22   +7    58
 4 Serizar FC                   36   13  13  10    54   43  +11    52
 5 Castra Bostra FK             36   13  12  11    32   24   +8    51
 6 Tripoli Foresters            36   13   9  14    48   43   +5    48
 7 Lakiska Kangaroos            36   13   9  14    48   50   −2    48
 8 Independence FK              36   13   6  17    35   38   −3    45
 9 Altica FC                    36   13   6  17    53   61   −8    45
10 Osmazar Wallabies            36    5   9  22    40   91  −51    24

The most wide open league of them all, eh? 8 teams entering the professional pyramid for the first time, with just two, the Tezirbu Foxes and the Tripoli Foresters, having professional experience. None of that experience helped the Foresters, who finished a very disappointing 6th place, and fired their manager. "An absolutely brilliant opportunity for them to try to move up, in year 1 of the league- and they just absolutely blew it." Said a reporter. "If the season with 8 expansion teams they couldn't move to the second tier, or even compete for a league title, will they ever get out of the doldrums of the regional leagues?"

Of course, the Tezirbu Foxes were more than ready. They rode a rock solid defense, the best across all the regional leagues- allowing just one goal every other game, for a ridiculous 19 goals conceded over 36. That's the best defensive record out of any of the 50 regional league sides this year. Despite only scoring the third fewest goals in the competition, they still were able to win it thanks to their rock solid defending. "If they're scoring like this in the BSL, well- they're gonna be right back down." Said a reporter. "But still- credit given where credit is due. The league was extremely weak this year, but the Foxes navigated it and finished top of the table. A league title is a league title- you can't take that away!"

   Moravican First Division    Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Suwawa FC                    36   27   5   4   119   32  +87    86 - League champion, Advances to the Banijan Promotion Playoff
 2 Taramazna United             36   20   7   9   105   61  +44    67
 3 New Olympus FC               36   19   6  11   126   68  +58    63
 4 Eastern Moravica FC          36   17   7  12    76   69   +7    58
 5 Gazaea Thunder               36   15   9  12    60   59   +1    54
 6 Lake Wakiso AFC              36   12  13  11    77   81   −4    49
 7 AFC Kosactus                 36   11  11  14    71   71    0    44
 8 Slobochia Bears              36    7   8  21    61  128  −67    29
 9 Koszagard City               36    6   8  22    56   99  −43    26
10 Ruhanga SC                   36    6   6  24    48  131  −83    24

And now, what effectively amounts to the return of the Moravican state league. Of course, plenty of Moravican teams elsewhere in the pyramid- but Banija's largest state now has its own league, with the Busogan league split. Unsurprisingly, it was Suwawa FC who would run away with things here- always a competitor to finish top here, and a team that has been up to the next tier a few times now, they blasted everybody away in this league. Somehow, 119 goals over 36 games wasn't enough to lead the competition- look at that Farf influence of all that attacking football!

But the defense put them through. They conceded just 32 all season- the next best defensive record was 61 goals conceded. It led them to a ridiculous +87 goal differential- the kind of GD you put up when you win a league by 19 points. They finished with 86 points, the most of any regional league side. The best performing expansion team was New Olympus, who somehow scored 126 goals, and yet finished 20 points off the pace. A bright future for the Istria side then, eh? This competition, with how local it is, functionally, being a state league, was fierce. Great away fan travel, fights everywhere- again, that Farf influence seeping through.

   Lower Coastal League        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Mamari City                  36   19  10   7    90   49  +41    67 - League champion, Advances to the Banijan Promotion Playoff
 2 Zakuta City                  36   18  12   6    86   44  +42    66
 3 Nsade United                 36   19   8   9    95   69  +26    65
 4 Baleweye FC                  36   18   9   9    76   42  +34    63
 5 Kwadama Dojo                 36   15   9  12    77   73   +4    54
 6 Kiruvya Bulls                36   13   6  17    71   82  −11    45
 7 Djoro Athletic               36   12   6  18    60   79  −19    42
 8 Dimbogourou SC               36    8  11  17    65  120  −55    35
 9 Kitara Athletic Society      36   10   3  23    46   82  −36    33
10 AFC Akwadua                  36    7   8  21    37   63  −26    29

The tightest league! Four teams were in contention going into the final day. Zakuta City had 66 points going into the Final day- and an away game against AFC Akwadua to close out the season. Nsade United had 64 points, and hosted the Kiruvya Bulls. Mamari City had 64 points as well, and they hosted Baleweye FC, who had 63 points. Some final day mad scramble madness. Zakuta City just came down from the BSL- this was their opportunity to ricochet right back up, right? All they had to do was beat the worst team in the league.

And somehow, they could not do that. In fact, they collapsed entirely. A terrible challenge in the box, in the 26th minute, saw Zakuta City's CB sent off and a penalty granted to the visitors. Somehow, AFC Akwadua skied that penalty! Then, on the stroke of halftime, Zakuta City's other CB had an atrocious handball, therefore giving cellar dwellars AFC Akwadua another penalty, and Zakuta City reducing themselves to 9 men. That penalty was slotted home, and it was 1-0 at half. Zakuta City were forced to chase. What happens when you're forced to chase, down 1-0, and with 9 men? You concede a ton, as Zakuta City ended up losing 5-0 on the day.

An embarassing turn of events. But that was fortune for everyone below them, right? Nsade United needed to win, at this point, and get some help- but they could not, as they deadlocked, 0-0, with the Bulls. That left Mamari City and Baleweye FC as the beneficiaries- and Mamari City cruised to their league title. A hat trick from their #9 pushed them to the top of the table, earned them a trophy, and put the Banijan Soccer League in their sets. Was promotion possible?

  Northern League             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Cerenus United               36   21   9   6   112   49  +63    72 - League champion, Advances to the Banijan Promotion Playoff
 2 Garixas City                 36   20   6  10    93   49  +44    66
 3 Okakameb City                36   17  13   6    90   57  +33    64
 4 AFC Okahavi                  36   16   6  14    65   70   −5    54
 5 Nanami Dragons               36   14   8  14    77   74   +3    50
 6 Pagazi Triceratopses         36   13   7  16    36   48  −12    46
 7 Thayaferu United             36   12  10  14    66   79  −13    46
 8 Gadive City                  36   12   8  16    57   75  −18    44
 9 Selekawe Knights             36   10   9  17    60   80  −20    39
10 Koksho City                  36    5   4  27    39  114  −75    19

Cerenus United racking up yet another league title. Where have we heard this before?? What , is this their fifth or sixth league title? Insane. They continue to dominate the Northern League, as they are powered by 112 goals to defeat the opposition, and cruised towards a league title. Playing in a fresh new stadium, they gave their supporters reason to keep on coming, and now will have the opportunity to reach the BSL.

It was competitive across the board, even if Cerenus United ended up imposing their will. The expansion Triceratopses held up well, finishing in the mid-table. And yeesh- Koksho City. Easily the second worst team across the regional leagues. But this is the lowest level of pro/rel in this country. -75 goal differential? One of two teams in the regional leagues to win 5 games or less(5). One of two teams to concede over 100. Second worst goal differential at -75. My son's 5th grade league defenders would be an improvement on whatever Koksho City was playing in the back.

   Southern League             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Bwubanza City SC             36   23   6   7   102   42  +60    75 - League champion, Advances to the Banijan Promotion Playoff
 2 Boufaya Ravens               36   20   6  10    54   32  +22    66
 3 Byakado City                 36   17  11   8    73   47  +26    62
 4 Abomfa United                36   17   7  12    40   26  +14    58
 5 Kigagana Mountaineers        36   15  10  11    40   33   +7    55
 6 Busemlu Park SC              36   17   2  17    59   50   +9    53
 7 Pumbasa Boars                36   15   6  15    64   64    0    51
 8 Mukegara Warriors            36   11   7  18    53   68  −15    40
 9 Dodoma City SC               36    8   9  19    59   76  −17    33
10 Umbazi FA                    36    4   2  30    27  133 −106    14

Bwubanza City has finally found its way back to the Southern League! There used to be 'too many' Bunyoro teams in the third tier, so they had to overflow to other leagues for years. Much more travel(even if they had subsidies), as they spend a lot of time in the Northwestern League, despite being clear on the other side of the country. But finally, with expansion, enough teams have been cleared out where they finally got to go to their geographic league- and celebrated doing so by immediately winning it. Solid play, nice organization, and a sizzling attack(102 goals!) were the reason that they earned this league title, and are now in the promotion playoff.

The only league with no expansion sides. Yet, they had the worst side across all the regional leagues- Umbazi FA. Congrats on being the worst team in all of Banija & Busoga! Just 4 wins- worst. 133 goals conceded- worst, conceding 3.69 goals per game. 27 goals scored- fewest across the regional leagues. Worst defense, best offense, in a league not known for its strength. Ouch. The football is bad in Bunyoro, but it's rough in Buganda as well- this part of the country is just suffering in this sport.

Banijan Promotion Playoff
First Leg

Bwubanza City SC 3–1 Cerenus United
Suwawa FC 0–0 Mamari City

The draws were random, and here we went! In the first game, Bwubanza City SC won at home against Cerenus United, by a score of 3-1. They rode that home field advantage, taking a 1-0 lead into the half. While Cerenus were able to equalize after halftime, and get that crucial away goal, Bwubanza City were able to put them away in front of a sellout crowd of 40,000 strong at Galbécran Park. However, Cerenus United did get that away goal- although the IFCF got rid of away goals, and the WCC have as well, Banija still uses 'em. Will Cerenus be able to get the two goals they need at home?

In the other tie, not much happened. Suwawa FC looked sloppy- winning their league by so many points, they haven't played a meaningful game in over a month. Too good for their own good? A rough 0-0 draw at home means they've got everything to play for on the road.

Second Leg

Cerenus United 0–3 Bwubanza City SC (Bwubanza City SC advances, 6-1 on aggregate, to the Banijan Promotion Playoff Final)
Mamari City 3–1 Suwawa FC (Mamari City advances, 3-1 on aggregate, to the Banijan Promotion Playoff Final)

And we have our finalists! Once Bwubanza City SC got their away goal, they were able to cruise, putting a deflated Cerenus United side to the sword. They added on two more for good measure, as they cruised to a 3-0 win away from home, consistently nailing Cerenus United on the counter-attack. What a night it was for Bwubanza City- a 6-1 aggregate win will put them as big favorites for the match in the national stadium.

In the other tie, however, it was home field advantage that would rear its head. Mamari City scored the first goal, about 6 minutes in, to take an early 1-0 lead. But Suwawa FC's equalizer in the 62nd tied the game at 1-1, but also meant the visitors would go through on away goals. That forced Mamari City to chase, and chase, and chase. They won their league in dramatic, final day fashion- why not win this one dramatically as well? An 87th minute header to take the lead, and then an 89th minute counter-attacking goal to seal their fate. On to the Final- was the second tier in their sight?

Promotion Playoff Final
Played at the Stadium of the Restoration(cap. 91,835) in Busukuma, National Capitol Region

Bwubanza City SC 3–1 Mamari City

And it would be Bwubanza City, carrying over sizzling form from the semifinal, who would dominate in the nation's capitol. Their fans came to Busukuma in swarms- it's supposed to be 50/50, but it was probably about 75/25 in favor of the Bunyoro side. And it was a good luck, as those blue colored shirts took over the Banijan capitol. That said, it was Mamari City who opened the scoring, with a 36th minute bending free kick, to take a lead into halftime. Would it be their smaller section of traveling fans who would take home the win?

Unfortunately for them, the answer was a resounding 'no'. Bwubanza City had a double substitution at halftime, and those off the bench helped turn this game on its head. One sub scored an equalizer in the 61st minute, and then the other assisted a 67th minute winner. An 82nd minute penalty for Bwubanza City was successfully converted, putting their opponents to the sword, and themselves, into the Banijan Soccer League.

What a season it was! That means Bwubanza City SC will be promoted directly to the Banijan Soccer League. That also means that Mamari City will advance to the BSL Qualifier, to compete against the second worst finishing Banijan team in the BSL.

by **Banija** » Thu Feb 02, 2023 10:24 am

Banijan Soccer League in the S-FPL Era- Year 10 Preview & Basic Information

The Banijan Soccer League(BSL) is the second tier of the Banijan & Busogan soccer pyramid. It consists of 18 Banijan teams, and 4 Busogans. Promotion to the S-FPL is quite simple- the league champion is promoted to the big leagues, the Shango-Fogoa Premier League. The worst finishing Banijan/Busogan team in the S-FPL is relegated down to the BSL. Pro/Rel between this league and the reigonal tiers, however, is slightly more complicated.

Relegation from the BSL happens on a national basis. On the Banijan side, it is fairly simple. The worst Banijan team is relegated to the regional leagues. The second-worst Banijan team shall play in a two-legged playoff against the BSL Promotion Playoff Final loser, for the right to join the BSL. Away goals still exist in Banija- and the BSL side will be the home side for the first leg, while the regional league side will be the home side for the second leg.

On the Busogan side, it is much more complicated. The worst finishing Busogan team, if they finish 10th or worst, is automatically relegated to the Busogan National League(BNL). That league's champion is promoted to the BSL. Simple enough, right? But it gets more complicated than that. If the worst finishing Busogan side finishes higher than 10th, they have a chance to earn back their spot in the BSL. If they finish 8th or 9th, they can earn back their spot by winning a one game playoff against the Busogan National League champions- on the road. If they finish 4th through 7th, it is the same thing- except that playoff is at home. And if that side somehow happens to get into the top 3(meaning there is at least one Busogan side in the S-FPL), then there will simply be no pro/rel that season on the Busogan side.

But that's not all! If multiple Busogan sides finish in the bottom 5, the other sides must compete in a playoff to earn their spot in the BSL. For example, imagine Busogan side A finishes 21st, another finishes 20th, and another finishes 18th. Then the 21st team is automatically relegated. The 20th team will play the 2nd place team in the Busogan National League in a one-game playoff, and the 18th place side will play the 3rd place team in the Busogan National League in a one game playoff. In this scenario, those one game playoffs will be hosted by the teams in the Busogan National League.

Got all that? One more thing to figure out- LBCT spots! That hasn't changed. Top two teams automatically qualify for the LBCT. Teams placed 3rd through 6th will enter a double round robin playoff, the winner of which will qualify for the LBCT. The only exception is if there is at least a 9 point gap between the 3rd and 4th place teams- in that rare case, the playoff will be cancelled, and the 3rd place side will automatically qualify for the Liga B Champions Trophy.

That's everything! Let's make this happen, eh?

Roster Key-
Underlined players are Banijan internationals.
Nationality is listed if they are not Banijan.
Italicized players are internationals for a foreign country.
All players are male unless otherwise specified.

Teams in the Banijan Soccer League-
1. Amaku City Football Club. ACFC. Location: Amaku, Bunyoro. Colors: Red.

2. Askatasuna Football Club. AFC. Location: Askatasuna, Aksum. Colors: Green & White.

3. Barmos United. BU. Loction: Barmos, Moravica. Color: Green.

4. Bunyoro Regional Sporting Club. BRSC. Location: Dodomo, Bunyoro. Colors: Blue.

5. BUSEMBE TIMBERWOLVES. Location: Busembe, Kitara.

6. Capitol City Football Club. CCFC. Location: La Olla, Busukuma, National Capitol region(coterminous borders). Colors: Blue. Presently owned by the Jabal Akhdar Sovereign Wealth Fund.

7. Corizova United FC. CUFC. Location: Corizova, Moravica. Color: Gold.

8. Dukuma Sporting Club. DSC. Location: Dukuma, North Island, Busoga Islands. Colors: Purple & white.

9. Duntho Sporting Club. DSC. Loction: Duntho, Hangaza. Colors: Green.

10. Herzegovina Phoenix. BKF. Location: Vdizi, Moravica.

11. Igulu City Football Club. ICFC. Location: Igulu, Hangaza. Colors: Blue.

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12. Isipongo Flash. IF. Location: Isipongo, Buganda. Colors: Black & white.

13. Jaribga Soccer Club. JSC. Location: Jaribga, North Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Blue.

14. Kabakono City. KBC. Location: Kabakona, Kitara. Colors: Blue.

15. Lakiska Sporting Club. LSC. Location: Lakiska, South Island, Busoga Islands. Colors: Red.

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16. Luguyala Patriots. LGY. Location: Luguyala, Aksum. Colors: Red.

17. The Lwanga Lions. LWG. Location: Lwanga, Buganda. Colors: Orange.

18. Nezrouch Rovers. NR. Location: Nezrouch, Busoga. Color: Blue.

19. Ogbordu Diamond Football Club. ODFC. Location: Hoima, Ankole. Colors: Orange.

20. Rukunbi Football Club. RFC. Location: Istria, Moravica. Located in Eastern Istria, the largest of the 5 districts of Istria with 38% of the city's population and generally considered to be culturally distinct from the rest of the city. Colors: Light Green & White. Just bought by the Cardenao Public Investment Fund.

21. Sororo City. SOR. Location: Sororo, Bunyoro. Colors: Blue.

22. Umbazi Metropolitan Sporting Club. Location: Umbazi, Buganda. Nickname: Flamingo. Deragotory Nickname: Flightless Birds

All-Banija Sports Magazine Projected Order of Finish

Capitol City FC
Busembe Timberwolves
Rukunbi FC
Lakiska SC
Igulu City FC
Lwanga Lions
Askatasuna FC
Dukuma SC
Duntho Sporting Club
Bunyoro RSC
Sororo City
Corizova United
Herzegovina Phoenix
Kabakono City
Umbazi Metropolitan SC
Isipongo Flash
Ogbordu Diamond
Amaku City FC
Barmos United
Jaribga Soccer Club
Luguyala Patriots
Nezrouch Rovers

Let's talk about the teams we expect to have a reasonable shot at promotion this year, why don't we?

First, we'll start with our projected champions, Capitol City FC. Some might call it the most 'boring named club in the universe'. But we call them promotion favorites. Why, when they only finished in 12th place last season? There's a simple answer- and that's money. Now, they've been owned by the sovereign wealth fund of Jabal Akhdar for a few seasons now. But they haven't spent quite like a state-owned club yet. Why? Well, Emir Siddeeqi Ghaazi al-Masri was quite distracted- money was being funneled towards the military, because of a potential invasion by the White Winter Queendom. But that fear, after some years... will not happen. Graentfjall does not seem to be imminently invading, and now, he can throw money at his plaything- his football club. He had tried to buy the Timberwolves when they were for sale, and when he couldn't, they put their immense resources behind the oldest club in the Banijan capitol. A strange situation- Banija's most famously left-wing club, with a huge amount of support from the Farf refugee community in the capitol... owned by foreign oil interests. What a mix, right?

Free from the distractions of imminent capitulation to an outside Rushmori power, they decided to start throwing money around. The club chairman called it a 'promotion blitz'. They signed their centerback, Arinbjörn Markusson- a WC91 winner for Graentfjall(off the bench, mind you- but a WC winner's medal is a WC winner's medal). They've overpaid for another Farf NTer as well, this one Lőrensz Ziczi. Both are 34 years old. But they didn't just go old- they spent some good cash on Fatime Desiree, after watching her at the DBCs. And, lastly, they signed Romualdo Costantini, off the Oscioru national team. "Look- they're basically trying to buy their way into the S-FPL." Said an analyst. "No qualms around that." They've also spent a bunch of money on Namakula Kawesa, WC86 champion and a lady who managed the NT at the Mihaly Invitational, to run the club. They're quickly going to be the most hated team in Banija's lower divisions. But they don't care, do they? All this money spent should make them big favorites to reach the S-FPL for the first time.

Behind them, we're going to project the Busembe Timberwolves. Yes, they lost a series of important players- from Tessa Matfield, to Langlois-Zuluka, after relegation. But this is a club that has IFCF competition experience. "Look, the Ubermanager experience- we liked it, but it clearly wore out its welcome." Said club leadership. "It may be Capitol City that spending all sorts of money- but it'll be us who will get back to the top." 9 consecutive seasons in the top flight, and their relegation was a shock one. But do they have enough to get back to the top? If their players that they kept develop as expected, they should be able to give Capitol City FC at least some sort of fight, so it's not a season-long coronation.

Let's round out the top 4, shall we? Next, we'll go with Rukunbi FC. Banija's oldest club, full stop- they've never spent a season in the S-FPL, and they haven't really sniffed it. But as seems to be the theme in the country these days, they were also sold to foreign owners- this time, the Cardenao Public Investment Fund. Of course, the purchase just went through- aka, after the transfer window deadline, so they haven't had a chance to leave their mark on the club's roster. But it's a strong one, featuring Tyrone Barrett. Their goal is to get to the Liga B Champions Trophy this season, and next year, they'll be gunning for the country's sole slot in the S-FPL.

Fourth, we'll talk about Lakiska SC. They finished a distant second this past year. Of course, some argue the club's focus is on its T20 cricket team- but that's a debate at any multi-sporting club. They've been back and forth a few times, been promoted before, and are, realistically, the Busoga Islands only realistic shot at promotion. They are different from the clubs around them, as they are defensively focused. They've got a Hapilopper international, and a former Banijan Olympian at CB. There''s talent back there. They've even tried to adequately replace Angonga, who left for the riches of the S-FPL. They've got a 16 year old #9 on loan from Banija's biggest club, Herzegovina City FC. Can they shock observers and earn promotion?

Also, further announcements- with the Shango-Fogoa Cup not occurring this year, the executive board has authorized the RBSA and BISA to hold their own cup competitions. And they are doing so. BISA will resurrect the Ebrahim Razav Cup. All 14 Busogan teams will take part in it. Dukuma SC and Lakiska SC will get byes from the first round of the competition, and join the first round winners in the Quarterfinals. First round is just one game, at somebody's home field, played until there is a winner(via extra time and penalties, if necessary). Quarterfinals and semifinals are two-legged affairs, with the final taking place at Lakiska City Cricket Park(cap. 54,000). The winner of this competition will qualify for the Vilitan Cove International.

The RBSA will have a cup competition for the now 68 Banijan teams, called the RBSA Challenge Cup. It will have a first four- the six expansion teams, plus two Southern League teams, will enter into the first four. Those four winners will join the remaining 64 Banijan teams in the first round. All games will occur at home fields(chosen randomly, opponents chosen randomly as well). Each round will be one leg, and no replays- matches played until there is a winner, via extra time or penalties if necessary. The Final will be the only neutral site match, and that will take place at the national stadium- aka the Stadium of the Restoration(cap.91,835) in Busukuma.

Who's ready for some kickass soccer!

by **Busoga Islands** » Thu Feb 02, 2023 10:08 pm

Ebrahim Razav Cup

First Round

Altica FC 1–3 Nezrouch Rovers
Osmazar Wallabies 1–1 Lakiska Kangaroos (1–1 AET) (3–4 pen.)
Kocakhan AFC 2–1 Jaribga SC
Tezirbu Foxes 2–0 Castra Bostra FK
Independence FK 2–2 Tripoli Foresters (2–2 AET) (7–6 pen.)
Beirutspor 1–1 Serizar FC (1–3 AET)

Second Round

First Leg
Serizar FC 2–1 Tezirbu Foxes
Independence FK 1–1 Dukuma SC
Lakiska Kangaroos 0–1 Kocakhan AFC
Lakiska SC 0–0 Nezrouch Rovers
Second Leg
Tezirbu Foxes 0–1 Serizar FC (Serizar FC advance 3-1, on aggregate, to the Ebrahim Razav Cup Semifinals)
Dukuma SC 1–0 Independence FK (Dukuma SC advance, 2-1 on aggregate, to the Ebrahim Razav Cup Semifinals)
Kocakhan AFC 0–0 Lakiska Kangaroos (Kocakhan AFC advance, 1-0 on aggregate, to the Ebrahim Razav Cup Semifinals)
Nezrouch Rovers 0–1 Lakiska SC (Lakiska SC advance, 1-0 on aggregate, to the Ebrahim Razav Cup Semifinals)

And now, time for the quarterfinals! Six teams to join Dukuma SC and Lakiska SC, the only Busogan teams to participate in last season's edition of the BSL, in the chase for that ever-evasive trophy. It was actually a fairly interesting first leg. There was expected to be a gap between 'the big two', and the rest of the Busogan teams, but frankly, it shows you how the level of footballing is down in the Busoga Islands. Or maybe the bottom level is pushing up? Expansion side Independence FK drew 1-1 at home, against Dukuma SC in the first leg. The Nezrouch Rovers, of course, drew 0-0 with Lakiska SC away from home. Tier 3 punching up at tier 2.

Some impressive results for the newer sides, eh? But in the all-National League ties, there was not a ton of scoring- Busogan football is Busogan football, eh? But Kocakhan earned a crucial 1-0 win, away from home, against the Lakiska Kangaroos. It was earned in brutal fashion, however- a Kangaroos defender heading a corner kick into the back of his own net. But they all count the same, eh? That crucial away goal, as well. And last, but certainly not least, Serizar FC had a 2-1 home win against the Foxes. The only tie of the four to have both teams score.

But then, off to the second legs! A 1-0 win for the Foxes would do, with the away goals rule in place for this competition. But as they pushed and pushed for this goal, they simply were not capable of getting there. Serizar FC scored on a counter-attack in the 63rd minute, that essentially ended the tie. The Foxes had simply needed one goal to move on- now, suddenly, they'd need three. They were not coming. Meanwhile, in the biggest city in the country, Dukuma SC were able to survive a tight gauntlet, downing Independence FK 1-0 at home. A headed goal by Schottian striker Philena Neuheim was enough to earn them the win, and a ticket to the semifinals.

Kocakhan were content to sit on that own goal, and simply defend it out. It was 90 minutes of the ugliest soccer you've ever seen- but suffocating defending earned them a 0-0 home draw, and a berth in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Lakiska SC traveled to Nezrouch, after a disappointing 0-0 home draw. Lakiska SC, of course, are real competitors to get promoted all the way to the S-FPL. They would only need one goal, however, to down Nezrouch. And they would get it, from the free transfer- Andrew Walsh, of Tumbra. He got a backpass to the 18, and simply slotted the shot to the corner of the net, just a few minutes after the halftime break. That away goal was all Lakiska would need. They're experts at suffocating their opponents while defending, and they did just that, punching their ticket to the semifinals.

Semifinals

First Leg
Kocakhan AFC 1–2 Lakiska SC
Serizar FC 0–3 Dukuma SC
Second Leg
Lakiska SC 0–2 Kocakhan AFC (Kocakhan AFC advance, 3-2 on aggregate, to the Ebrahim Razav Cup Final)
Dukuma SC 1–0 Serizar FC (Dukuma SC advance, 4-0 on aggregate, to the Ebrahim Razav Cup Final)

The first leg was dominated by the big two, on both sides, eh? Dukuma SC were all about the away goals, and simply cruised forward to put Serizar FC to the sword before they even got going. The Brenecian left midfielder, Kate Stepford, scored on a breakaway, cheekily chipping the ball over the goalkeeper in the 17th minute for the visitors to take a 1-0 lead. It wouldn't take long for them to get their second, as striker Uzsoy Fisek headed home a cross by Ediz Sporel from point blank range in the 22nd minute. Just like that, it was 2-0 to Dukuma. With the away goals rule in place, Serizar FC had no choice but to chase. But it was not meant to be- a counter-attacking Dukuma SC side found their third of the day in the 70th minute, with Philena Neuheim burying the contest. 3-0 away victory, with the away goals rule- Dukuma SC already had a foot in the Final.

What about the other tie? A much tighter affair- but much more open than the quarterfinals. It was Lakiska SC who opened the scoring. It was the right wide midfielder, Akyol Aslan, who would open the scoring. It was Parker Mathis who launched a shot from distance, that the Kocakhan goalkeeper could not handle. The keeper fumbled it to the feet of Aslan, who slotted the rebound into the back of the net. 1-0, and it was that same score into the half. But Kocakhan went into the half confidence, and attacked ambitiously against this ferociously defensive side. While they equalized off of a 61st minute penalty, they would push for a winner. But none was coming, as a counter-attacking Xilit-Rilan Ono scored to make it 2-1.

Decisive. 2-1 to Lakiska, both away goals. Kocakhan would need to score twice in the Busogan capitol to make the Final. That wasn't possible, right? The second leg of the other tie was a mere formality- Dukuma SC won 1-0 at home to punch their ticket. But this second leg- was the wild one. Lakiska were huge favorites to make the final, odds before the match were -950. And yet, how things went. Lakiska SC didn't push much in the first half- content to sit on their two away goal inflated lead. But in the second half, they came storming. And a red card shown to their CB, Gunduz Koca, for a reckless challenge did not help matters. Against 10 men, they threw everyone forward- and good things happened. A header in the 82nd, and a free kick in the 87th, were the difference. A miracle win as the traveling fans stormed the pitch. Was a trophy in sight, for their first ever season?

Final
Played at Lakiska City Cricket Park(cap. 54,000)

Kocakhan AFC 0–1 Dukuma SC

Dukuma SC and Kocakhan AFC fans packed Lakiska City Cricket Park, to determine the champion of the Busoga Islands. The cup champion, anyways. Highly anticipated on these islands(although not so much elsewhere), they locked horns. Dukuma SC were the favorites, and despite Kocakhan's miracle win just a few weeks ago, they played like they were the favorites. They created opportunity after opportunity- with Philena Neuheim and Kate Stepford both hitting the post in the first half, while Leyla Gundogan hit the crossbar to close out the first half. Dukuma SC were knocking on the door- another trophy in the offing?

Kocakhan AFC were surviving by the skin of their teeth- some great saves, and a ton of luck. But Dukuma SC were knocking at this door, and eventually, they'd knock it down. In the 63rd minute, they'd sub on veteran right midfielder Ilbasan Sofuoglu, who brought a fresh burst of energy to the match. Sofuoglu had a brilliant cameo, and scored the winner in the 73rd minute, after beating two defenders on the dribble. It was a fantastic goal, one worthy of a final, and sent Dukuma SC fans into ecstasy. The final whistle blew- and Dukuma SC were declared champions of the Ebrahim Razav Cup.

What a ride, eh? The country's President, Delbin Kasekende Sr., played for the club, and was at the match, celebrating on the pitch with the club. You love to see it, right?

by **Banija** » Fri Feb 03, 2023 11:54 am

Banijan Soccer League in the S-FPL Era- Year 10: Matchdays 1-41

BSL                           Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Capitol City FC             41   29   8   4   129   38  +91    95 - Clinched berth in the IFCF Liga B Champions Trophy
 2 Herzegovina Phoenix         41   29   6   6   128   42  +86    93 - Clinched berth in the IFCF Liga B Champions Trophy
 3 Askatasuna FC               41   25   8   8   101   49  +52    83 - Clinched berth in BSL LBCT Qualification Playoff
 4 Lakiska SC                  41   26   3  12    48   32  +16    81 - Clinched berth in BSL LBCT Qualification Playoff
 5 Busembe Timberwolves        41   24   7  10   100   59  +41    79 - Clinched berth in BSL LBCT Qualification Playoff
 6 Rukunbi FC                  41   22   9  10   106   51  +55    75 - Clinched berth in BSL LBCT Qualification Playoff
 7 Kabakono City               41   19   9  13    67   56  +11    66
 8 Bunyoro RSC                 41   17   9  15    77   76   +1    60
 9 Sororo City                 41   18   6  17    30   38   −8    60
10 Barmos United               41   16  11  14    52   52    0    59
11 Umbazi Metropolitan SC      41   16  11  14    70   73   −3    59
12 Duntho Sporting Club        41   15   5  21    41   76  −35    50
13 Lwanga Lions                41   13  10  18    62   75  −13    49
14 Ogbordu Diamond FC          41   13   8  20    38   45   −7    47
15 Igulu City FC               41   12  11  18    66   84  −18    47
16 Isipongo Flash              41   13   6  22    68   82  −14    45
17 Amaku City SC               41   13   6  22    45   65  −20    45
18 Dukuma SC                   41   13   5  23    37   64  −27    44
19 Jaribga Soccer Club         41   11  10  20    43   68  −25    43
20 Corizova United             41   10   9  22    59  103  −44    39 - Will play in the BSL Qualifier
21 Luguyala Patriots           41    5  12  24    33   76  −43    27 - Relegated to the Banijan regional Leagues
22 Nezrouch Rovers             41    5   5  31    32  128  −96    20 - Relegated to the Busogan National League

What a season we have had! We've had some expected performances, some stunning performances, and in other places- certainly a number of disappointing performances. Let's go through it, shall we?

Capitol City FC were expected to cruise this season, as some expected they could win the league by 10 points or more. But instead, that's the opposite of what's happened- they are up by just two points with one game remaining, in what's going to be a title deciding fight against the Herzegovina Phoenix at the end of the season.

The Herzegovina Phoenix have stunned almost everybody with their title fight this season. Many credit their Nepharan manager, Reinhard Drake, for some shrewd signings from free agents, after the transfer window- Slavomir Malik(S&T), as well as Laula Garderner(Brenecia). "That damned oil club thought that they could come here, to this country, and basically buy their way to a league title." Said the Phoenix captain, Saul Obama. "But look- this is a team game. You gotta build a real squad, and earn this shit on the field. They aren't good enough- and we'll show the world that next week." The stats between the two title contenders are nearly identical. The strike tandem of Alexandra Owiti and Cyprus Oludhe has been incredible for the Pheonix, scoring 59 goals between them.

"We're better, we're stronger, we're deeper." Obama said. So why did the experts get them so wrong? We picked them to finish 13th- and yet, they control their own destiny to win the league. Probably a deep underestimation of the midfield. Malik and Obama were able to combine well in the central midfield, and that strength in the central midfield ensured that the attack could go forward emphatically. Good supply to the strikers up top, and the veterans were both able to get repeated goals. An experienced squad, with an experienced manager, can overperform- and a squad that's mostly 27-33 year olds performed spectacularly. How long can this core last in Herzegovina City? Probably another season, max. But who cares?

While Capitol City FC did not run away with the league, like many projected, they still are having an excellent season. The Busukuma side are still top of the table, although it is promotion or bust for them- although, with a league that has only one promotion slot, the ability to 'bust' is quite high. Turns out, a first year club manager, even one with a name like Namakula Kawesa, can have bumps in the road. But they are built for success- mostly because of the cash behind them. 22 year old Romualdo Costantini has been a revelation for this squad, and Kawesa's faith in some young players, despite the pressure of the promotion expectations, has been rewarded. Teenage striker Jônn Wérséô has been nothing short of spectacular.

Slots three through 6... not much to say there. There will be four teams competing for Banija's last LBCT Qualification slot. Are any of them huge surprises? No, not really. But we're going to talk about Lakiska SC a little bit. Five teams ranked in the top 6 in this league scored 100+ goals. Lakiska? Scored just 48 so far. Once a defensive club, always a defensive club. They've conceded just 32 goals over 41 games, allowing goals 3 times every 4 games. "It''s a fantastic defensive record, one that we are proud of." Said the manager, Onyango Katenda. "That'll do well for us in the LBCT Qualification Playoff."

There's certainly some disappointment among others in the top 6, however. The Busembe Timberwolves and Rukunbi FC both certainly expected to mount more of a title challenge, and neither came particularly close to doing so. "You can't deny that each had good seasons- but in a league where you have to win it to get promoted, 'good' isn't 'good enough'". Said a TV analyst. "The pressure is packed so high at the top of this competition- especially since the IFCF ruled that we can't only send non-champions to the LBCT." Expect both teams to take a long, hard, internal look as they figure out how to compete to get back to the top of the table. Both have relatively new ownership(Rukunbi FC), and don't expect either to be satisfied with staying down here. With only 10 Banijan teams in the S-FPL, the competition to be among those 10 is fiercer than ever.

Speaking of- there's a sad state of affairs in Busogan football. YOu've got three Busogan teams in the bottom 5- with Jaribga Soccer Club and Dukuma SC potentially having to play Relegation matches, if they finish in the bottom 5. Dukuma SC has to be especially disappointed- despite cup glory this year, they've fallen from 9th to 18th in the league table from last year to this year, their form just completely and utterly collapsing.

Matchday 42
2:00 PM
Umbazi Metropolitan SC v. Luguyala Patriots
Sororo City v. Lwanga Lions
Busembe Timberwolves v. Amaku City SC
Bunyoro RSC v. Barmos United
Corizova United v. Ogbordu Diamond FC
Duntho Sporting Club v. Igulu City FC
Isipongo Flash v. Nezrouch Rovers
Askatasuna FC v. Lakiska SC

5:00 PM
Herzegovina Phoenix v. Capitol City FC - TITLE FIGHT(BOTH TEAMS)
Rukunbi FC v. Dukuma SC - Relegation fight(Dukuma ONLY)
Jaribga Soccer Club v. Kabakono City - Relegation fight(Jaribga ONLY)

These are the game times for the final day. Just three games in the late slot- the one game to decide the title, plus the two Busogan teams who could potentially be forced into relefgation matches without three points next week. It'll be for all the marbles. Will Capitol City FC's spending spree pay off immediately, with promotion to the top flight? Or will the Phoenix show that it is about more than just money, and earn their own path to the S-FPL?

by **Banija** » Sat Feb 04, 2023 12:49 pm

RBSA Challenge Cup

Format is simple. There are 68 Banijan teams in the pyramid. 8 regional league sides will enter the play-in round(6 expansion, plus the two worst Southern League teams- chosen because it is the only league without expansion sides), and the 4 winners will join the other 60 teams in the pyramid in the first round, which is the Round of 64.

From there, it is straight elimination. Matches are played at home fields(except for the Final), and both opponents and venues are chosen randomly. There are no draws or replays- matches are played until there is a winner, either via extra time or penalties, if necessary.

Play-In Round

Pagazi Triceratopses 1–0 Kiruvya Bulls
Ruhanga SC 1–0 New Olympus FC
Lake Wakiso FC 0–2 Gazaea Thunder
Umbazi FA 0–2 Mukegara Warriors

First Round

Koksho City 0–0 Kitara Athletic Society (1–0 AET)
AFC Kosactus 0–0 Capitol City FC (0–1 AET)
Abomfa United 1–2 Hawabark Boulders
Aissa United 0–1 Rukunbi FC - Top flight upset
Bunyoro RSC 2–2 Gadive City (3–2 AET)
Mamari City 0–0 Busembe Timberwolves (0–1 AET)
Hoima Warriors 4–0 Bwubanza City SC
Askatasuna FC 1–0 Zakuta City
Sororo City 3–1 Barmos United
Nanami Dragons 1–0 Eastern Moravica FC
Okakameb City 1–0 Mynda Electra
Garixas City 5–2 Lwanga Lions
Corizova United 0–1 Baleweye FC
Byakado City 0–0 Ogbordu Diamond (0–1 AET)
Umbazi Metropolitan SC 4–2 Jinja City FC
Herzegovina Phoenix 0–1 Busukuma AC
Isipongo Flash 2–0 Ruhanga SC
Istria City FC 2–0 Pagazi Triceratopses
Luguyala Patriots 0–1 Kabakono City
Cerenus United 1–2 Taramazna United
Mukegara Warriors 0–0 Igulu City FC (0–0 AET) (3–4 pen.)
Djoro Athletic 4–0 Kwadama Dojo
Koszagard City 2–3 Busukuma Force
Kitara AA 1–0 Suwawa FC
Selekawe Knights 0–0 Dimbogourou SC (1–0 AET)
Busemlu Park SC 1-0 AFC Okahavi
Gazaea Thunder 0–2 AFC Akwadua
Dodoma City SC 0–0 Herzegovina City (0–2 AET)
Amaku City FC 1–0 Thayaferu United
Slobochia Bears 2–1 Boufaya Ravens
Duntho SC 2–5 Pumbasa Boars
Kigagana Mountaineers 3–3 Nsade United (3–3 AET) (5–4 pen.)

Second Round

Baleweye FC 1–3 Rukunbi FC
Nanami Dragons 1–5 Hoima Warriors
Isipongo Flash 4–2 Igulu City FC
Amaku City FC 3–2 Garixas City
Okakameb City 0–1 Hawabark Boulders
Djoro Athletic 0–1 AFC Akwadua
Selekawe Knights 0–0 Bunyoro RSC (0–0 AET) (4–5 pen.)
Pumbasa Boars 0–2 Istria City FC
Busemlu Park SC 0–1 Busukuma AC
Kabakono City 1–1 Kitara AA (1–2 AET)
Sororo City 2–0 Koksho City
Ogbordu Diamond 1–0 Taramazna United
Kigagana Mountaineers 0–2 Capitol City FC
Umbazi Metropolitan SC 2–2 Askatasuna FC (2–3 AET)
Busukuma Force 3–0 Slobochia Bears
Busembe Timberwolves 0–0 Herzegovina City (1–0 AET)

Round of 16

Ogbordu Diamond 0–1 Hawabark Boulders
Kitara AA 1–0 Amaku City FC
Hoima Warriors 2–0 Bunyoro RSC
AFC Akwadua 1–3 Askatasuna FC
Rukunbi FC 2–1 Istria City FC
Busukuma Force 1–0 Sororo City
Isipongo Flash 1–1 Busembe Timberwolves (2–2 AET) (3–0 pen.)
Capitol City FC 1–0 Busukuma AC

For the Round of 16, we're going to focus on the pair of resurrected derbies! First, the Istria derby- Istria City FC against Rukunbi FC. The former are co-favorites to win the S-FPL, although the rivalry in Banija's largest city has not taken place in over a decade. Formation of the S-FPL and all of that- Rukunbi FC, Banija's oldest club, have not been able to climb their way to the summit of Banijan football just yet. But here we are, right? The first half, as expected, was all Istria City. KHO was able to bury one in the 33rd minute to make it 1-0 in the cup tie, and honestly, Rukunbi FC were lucky that it didn't go to 2 or 3-0. But survive that first half they did- and then, they came back with a vengeance.

"Screw the glitz and glamour of Istria City- we're all about the grit of Istria." Said Rukunbi's manager. And in workmanlike fashion, they battled their way back into this game. The 34 year old Hapilopper national, Tyrone Barrett, headed one home in the 52nd minute, and suddenly- the game was level at 1-1. Eastern Stadium exploded. The place was rocking. Things went from bad to worse for the visitors when NT wingback, Sohna Kolley, had a reckless challenge on Barrett- leading to a straight red in the 71st minute. Suddenly, Rukunbi FC were in a position to start pushing. Malak Buuxo hit the bar just a few minutes later, while Arsenio Pradas hit just mere inches wide in the 80th. But it would be the 25 year old CM, Judy Owiti, who would come off the bench and score the winner in the 87th. The delirium- first time this rivalry was played in a decade, and in stunning fashion, it would be Rukunbi FC who would triumph. Pitch invasion after the match, as 'Kings of Istria' banners flew across the stadium.

The other derby we'll talk about is the capitol derby- Capitol City FC v. Busukuma AC. Their history is much different. Back in the state league days, these teams played each other all the time- in fact, no rivalry has been played more than this one. But ever since the beginning of the professional era, they have rarely played. The expansion Busukuma Force went into the original BSL instead of Capitol City FC, so it's been over 20 seasons since these two were in the same league. While the history is there, the nature of the rivalry has changed. Capitol City FC has always been a left-wing club- and are now the 'club of choice' for the large Farf community in Busukuma, well over half a million strong. Throw in the fact that they are backed by big money, and well- it's a doozy.

They hosted Busukuma AC at the Capitol Grounds, which were rocking- chants in all sorts of languages(Olusanke, Faroleran, etc..) as the BSL favorites took on the S-FPL giants. Surely, Busukuma AC held a big-time advantage in this one, right? But they simply could not get anything going. Their midfield struggled mightily, as Capitol City's took control. Lőrensz Ziczi, the Szoirsian, was having the game of his life. Combining well with 18 year old Madongo Wakeyo, Namakula Kawesa's squad didn't just sit back- they wanted to take the game to their opponents. The lone goal would be scored by Kira Yacobe, assisted by her strike partner-in-crime, Rulandese #9 Jônn Wérséô, in the 62nd minute. Once the match ended, of course- pitch invasion. Dancing throughout the night in La Olla. An insane upset, as a 'Big 5' side was taken down by this lower league side. Even Emir Siddeeqi Ghaazi al-Masri tweeted after the match, a picture of himself in a Capitol City FC jersey.

Quarterfinals

Isipongo Flash 2–4 Hoima Warriors
Kitara AA 1–0 Askatasuna FC
Rukunbi FC 2–0 Hawabark Boulders
Busukuma Force 1–1 Capitol City FC (1–1 AET) (8-9 pen.)

From 68 to 8, eh? A lot of upsets in this challenge cup- 4 S-FPL sides are joined by 4 BSL sides in this year's quarterfinals, showing how a majority of the S-FPL sides have already been taken out of the tournament. And all four matches this week are S-FPL v. BSL, which add intrigue. But look at the remaining teams- none of the big 'Three Cities' clubs are remaining- no Istria City, no Herzegovina City, no Jinja City. The opportunity to win a big-time trophy is gaping, just there for the taking. Which of these 8 sides will take it?

First, we'll start with the Hoima Warriors, the last 'Super 5' club remaining, traveling to Buganda to take on the Isipongo Flash. It was an absolutely wild time. The 19 year old #10 for the Flash, Joab Sodongo, absolutely showed out in the first half. Scoring one of his own and assisting the other, involved in both first half goals for the home side. They were serenading his name. The home crowd were serenading his name. But, just before the stroke of halftime(2 minutes into first half stoppage), a Flash defender committed an extremely ill-advised foul. Artem Kohut buried the penalty, and cut that lead in half. In the second half, the Warriors flung everyone forward- and the power of their attack simply overwhelmed the lower league side. The 36 year old Pasargan, Bod Joó, scored the equalizer in the 53rd minute. Chewbacca would score the winner in the 75th minute, off of a header, and Isa Kujabi would come off the bench just 4 minutes later to provide the insurance goal. 4-2 to Hoima, and a berth in the semifinals. The opportunity to win their first trophy in the S-FPL era is there for the taking- will they take it?

Second, we'll go to Keystone Stadium to take in Kitara AA. Everyone knows, of course, they are the S-FPL's only IFCF Champions League winners. But that was a long time ago- although that's what the Blue and Whites are most famous for. It was a surprisingly tight match as they hosted BSL side Askatasuna FC, although the final scoreline ended up being one that was quite flattering towards the visitors. Sergius Atieno scored the game's lone goal, in the 43rd minute, to give the home side a 1-0 win, and punch their ticket to the semifinal.

Rukunbi FC would return to their own home stadium, and take on the Hawabark Boulders- who just got promoted to the S-FPL after winning the BSL last year. But that fresh promotion didn't mean much, as the Boulders are clearly extremely worried about their own race to avoid relegation. But yet- gotta go for this trophy, right? Their quarterfinal run would remain a quarterfinal run, as Rukunbi FC put on the most dominant performance of any team playing this week, earning a 2-0 win that could have easily been 3 or 4 to nil. Odul Uyanik and Yelee Uster were the goalscorers on the day, as Tyrone Barrett missed a penalty for the hosts. That did not matter- 2-0 is more than enough to punch their tickets to the semifinals. Visions of silverware dancing in their eyes?

And last, of course, yet another Busukuma derby- Busukuma Force v. Capitol City FC. The Force, of course, are mostly supported by transplants to the city, while Capitol City FC are mostly supported by those on the city's west side, particularly in La Olla(home of the Farf community). The Force hosted, and it was subject to what we like to say is a 'hostile takeover'- visiting fans just overrunning the stadium. Yet another capitol derby, and these Capitol City FC fans showed themselves to be everywhere. The game went to a shootout- and deep into it. All the way to the goalkeepers. And Capitol City FC GK Dembe Ssekayombya not only hit his penalty, but saved his counterpart's.

Back to back weeks, Capitol City FC had beaten the other two Busukuma sides who were in the S-FPL. So when Arinbjörn Markusson told reporters after that Capitol City FC were clearly 'the best team in Busukuma', well- who could say that they weren't?

Semifinals

Hoima Warriors 1–0 Rukunbi FC
Capitol City FC 0–3 Kitara AA

It's the semifinals! First, we've got Hoima hosting Rukunbi FC. Rukunbi FC had knocked three separate S-FPL sides out of this tournament already- first Aissa United, then Istria City FC, and lastly, the Hawabark Boulders. Could their Cinderella story take down a fourth side? The answer, unfortunately, was no. The Warriors were simply too strong, and too talented, for the BSL side to knock out a fourth top-flight side in a season, and the Warriors were not going to let this opportunity go away. Mavuto Field was packed, as the fans could sense that they were on the verge of making a Final, and they were able to do so. Ochieng Mulangwa scored the game's only goal, in the 23rd minute. Otherwise, the Warriors simply suffocated Rukunbi, not allowing them any sort of breathing room in the midfield.

What a run to the semifinals it was! For a lower league team to even get this far- well, it's an impressive feat. The fans, obviously, have been overjoyed throughout this cup run. To get just win one way from a Final at the Stadium of the Restoration- impressive. They've got that experience- maybe it'll help next year, as they chase their first ever promotion to the S-FPL?

Second, of course, we have Capitol City FC. Challengers to get promoted, who had downed both of their local rivals, who were both in the top flight, to reach this point. Kitara AA would be their final hurdle, before they got to play a match at the national stadium. Unfortunately, however, Kitara AA showed them exactly what the gap was between the S-FPL and the BSL, at this point. Sergius Atieno scored in the 35th minute to take a 1-0 lead into halftime for the visitors. But Kitara AA were also prepared to bury the game on the counter. Ralph Winter and Dewa Putu Mahardika both scored in the second half, to make it 3-0 as Kitara AA celebrated making the Challenge Cup Final.

RBSA Challenge Cup Final
Played at the Stadium of the Restoration(cap. 91,835) in Busukuma, National Capitol Region

Hoima Warriors 1–0 Kitara AA

All the chaos, all the lower league success, four of the big 5 being eliminated early- this had been, quite possibly, one of the most chaotic cup competitions in Banijan history. But these two rose above the fray- Hoima and Kitara AA, by taking advantage of the path of least resistance.

Hoima's path to reach this point was not only straightforward, but it was gifted. "Look- if you're not only in the S-FPL, but a 'Super 5' club, and you don't face a single S-FPL club the entire path to the Final... Well, you've been gifted some beautiful draws. You can only play who's in front of you, yes- but there is no team that has had an easier path than the Warriors." Said a TV analyst. And they are not wrong. They beat up on tier 3 regional league sides in the first two rounds, with a 4-0 win over Bwubanza CIty, followed by a 5-1 away win against the Nanami Dragons. Then, a trio of wins against BSL sides- 2-0 over Bunyoro RSC, 4-2 away in a wild comeback over the Isipongo Flash, and 1-0 over Rukunbi FC.

Kitara AA probably had a slightly more difficult path? But ever so slightly- they also did not face a single S-FPL side throughout the 5 rounds of this tournament. Their backups struggled to a 1-0 win over regional league side Suwawa FC in the opening round, followed by being forced to go to extra time against BSL side Kabakono City in round 2(although the 118th minute winner by Basile Langlois-Zuluka was spectacular). Then, of course, this led to 1-0 home wins over Amaku City SC and Askatasuna FC in back to back rounds, before they went on the road and crushed Capitol City FC, 3-0, to reach the Final. "We played who was in front of us- how can you blame us for that?" Said Kitara AA's captain, Morgana Kolaj. "We're in a cup final, and we're playing for a trophy. We would've run the three cities gauntlet to get here if we had to."

Of course, easy to say that when you don't have to do it. But both teams had definitely easy paths to reach this Final- who would win the Final, and earn this trophy? The first half was entertaining. The Stadium of the Restoration was packed, with both sets of fans traveling to the capitol in huge numbers. Both teams had opportunities in the first half. Katie O'Donnell, the Saint Eleanor international, probably had the best opportunity for either team, when the Kitara AA defender headed and hit the post in the 21st minute. Both teams were open, and creating plenty of chances of their own. They went into halftime, however, tied 0-0, with the game still in the balance.

This is where managers make their money, right? 0-0 in a Final, you've got to try and do something to win it- and Hoima, who haven't had silverware since the S-FPL era started, seized the moment. Musisi Nnyika came into the game for Indigo Zap, to play the #10 role at halftime for Hoima, and it invigorated their attack. For about a 20 minute spell, the Warriors dominated the contest, keeping Kitara AA on their backfoot, and forced the Blue and Whites to be reactive instead of pro-active. It all paid off, as well. Josef Lawerenz would score the match-winner, as he would volley in a cross from the Banijan international, Momodou Jassey. The Equestrian put his half of the crowd into raptures, and the 65th minute volley was enough.

Kitara AA tried desperately to equalize over the last 25 minutes, but it was to no avail. When the final whistle blew, the score was still 1-0, and the Warriors were crowned RBSA Challenge Cup champions. What a ride it was, right? Their first year manager, Obasy Dike, said it was a 'sign of things to come'. "We're cup champions of Banija, and nobody can take this away from us!" He told the crowd, in his post-game speech at the trophy celebration. "This isn't the end- this is just the beginning. A sign of great things to come for this team!"

The Katikkiro, who is a well-known avid fan of The Hoima Warriors, was in attendance at the match, in a Warriors uniform. What a tournament cycle it was, right?

by **Banija** » Wed Feb 08, 2023 12:50 pm

Banijan Soccer League in the S-FPL Era- Year 10: The Final Day

Matchday 42- 2:00 PM results

Umbazi Metropolitan SC 3–1 Luguyala Patriots
Sororo City 0–1 Lwanga Lions
Busembe Timberwolves 1–0 Amaku City SC
Bunyoro RSC 1–0 Barmos United
Corizova United 0–1 Ogbordu Diamond FC
Duntho Sporting Club 1–3 Igulu City FC
Isipongo Flash 0–1 Nezrouch Rovers
Askatasuna FC 0–1 Lakiska SC

Final Table

BSL                            Pld   W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Capitol City FC             41   29   8   4   129   38  +91    95 - Qualifies for the LBCT
 2 Herzegovina Phoenix         41   29   6   6   128   42  +86    93 - Qualifies for the LBCT[/color]
 3 Lakiska SC                  42   27   3  12    49   32  +17    84 - Qualifies for the BSL LBCT Qualification Playoff
 4 Askatasuna FC               42   25   8   9   101   50  +51    83 - Qualifies for the BSL LBCT Qualification Playoff
 5 Busembe Timberwolves        42   25   7  10   101   59  +42    82 - Qualifies for the BSL LBCT Qualification Playoff
 6 Rukunbi FC                  41   22   9  10   106   51  +55    75- Qualifies for the BSL LBCT Qualification Playoff
 7 Kabakono City               41   19   9  13    67   56  +11    66
 8 Bunyoro RSC                 42   18   9  15    78   76   +2    63
 9 Umbazi Metropolitan SC      42   17  11  14    73   74   −1    62
10 Sororo City                 42   18   6  18    30   39   −9    60
11 Barmos United               42   16  11  15    52   53   −1    59
12 Lwanga Lions                42   14  10  18    63   75  −12    52
13 Ogbordu Diamond FC          42   14   8  20    39   45   −6    50
14 Igulu City FC               42   13  11  18    69   85  −16    50
15 Duntho Sporting Club        42   15   5  22    42   79  −37    50
16 Isipongo Flash              42   13   6  23    68   83  −15    45
17 Amaku City SC               42   13   6  23    45   66  −21    45
18 Dukuma SC                   41   13   5  23    37   64  −27    44
19 Jaribga Soccer Club         42   11  10  20    43   68  −25    43
20 Corizova United             42   10   9  23    59  104  −45    39 - Will take on Mamari City in the BLS Qualifier
21 Luguyala Patriots           42    5  12  25    34   79  −45    27 - Relegated to the Banijan Regional Leagues
22 Nezrouch Rovers             42    6   5  31    33  128  −95    23 - Relegated to the Busogan National League

4:50 PM: So we had some interesting results from the 8 games earlier in the day, right? Mostly to do with the Busogan relegation race. Remember- any Busogan team that finishes in the bottom 5 of the new look BSL, must compete for their place in the league against a side from the Busogan National League. So the results from Amaku City SC and the Isipongo Flash would bear heavily on the games for Dukuma SC and Jaribga Soccer Club, who are currently in 18th and 19th by the slimmest of margins. Both of those teams lost- the Flash, in embarassing fashion, 1-0 at home against the worst team in the league, the Nezrouch Rovers(also Busogan), and Amaku City SC falling 1-0 at home to a rotated Timberwolves squad.

4:52 PM: Now remember, those Banijan squads are staying up automatically- they didn't finish in the bottom 2 of the Banijan teams. But it means everything for the Busogan teams playing in the late slot. Wins by Jaribga Soccer Club or Dukuma SC will see them save themselves from the relegation playoff- a prospect both clubs are desperate to avoid. And you've got managers fighting for their jobs... Dukuma SC earned a cup trophy, but will it be enough if they're fighting a relegation playoff?

4:55 PM: But there's one match that matters the most in the 5:00 PM timeslot. It's the title decider- the Herzegovina Phoenix, hosting Capitol City FC. The stakes are simple. The Phoenix have 93 points on the season, Capitol City has 95. The stakes are quite simple, although quite high, at Phoenix stadium. A win for the home team, and they take the league title, and are promoted to the S-FPL next season. If Capitol City FC draw or win? Then they win the league title, and will earn promotion to the S-FPL next year. Only one promotion slot available- so whoever does not get promoted has to try and win it back the old-fashioned way, by winning this league.

5:01 PM: And we're off in all three places! The title decider getting off to literal fireworks, as Herzegovina Phoenix fans have come out in full force, trying to will their team towards a league title. The chants at the traveling fans from Busukuma are accusatory- accusing them of buying success and being a worthless club. Capitol City FC fans did not get many tickets to the game itself, but there was chaos outside the gates as the Farf-heavy fanbase tried to get in ticketless- so there are thousands of Capitol City FC fans in the streets of this small, 50,000 person inner-ring suburb of Herzegovina City.

5:07 PM: And it's the first chance of this title clincher! Romualdo Costantini created it for the visiting club. The Oscioru international got the ball on a counter-attack, after Madongo Wakeyo stole it in the midfield, and then flicked it upfield. Constantini beat one defender on the dribble and then passed the ball inside, to Lőrensz Ziczi. The Szoirsian was open at the 18, but he blasted the ball over the bar. He's simply got to calm his nerves. He's played in internationals, but there's nothing quite like the pressure of a match with promotion on the other side.

5:12 PM: Both matches for the Busogan sides who need a win today seem to be chugging along, goalless so far. Jaribga Soccer Club are taking on Kabakono City at home, as Kabakono City look for one last win to have a good end to the season. Dukuma SC might have the better chance- Rukunbi FC are stuck in 6th for the LCBT Qualification Playoff, no matter what. So they're playing a heavily rotated squad, albeit playing that squad at their own stadium. Do either of these Busogan teams have the firepower to save themselves?

5:18 PM: Jaribga Soccer Club have fired off their first opportunity of the night! For them, it's Busogan striker Tanman Gundogan heading a ball on target, but directly into the arms of the Kabakono City keeper, who makes an excellent save. First opportunity, plenty more where those came from, right?

5:25 PM: We're 25 minutes into these three games, and there's just not much happening. A ton of mental pressure, right? But something's gotta give in this later time slot. The damn's gotta break eventually.

5:30 PM: AND IT'S A GOAL AT PHOENIX STADIUM! The stadium EXPLODES with sounds of joy, as out of nowhere, in a game that was dominated in the midfield, the Herzegovina Phoenix have scored! What a hit! The goalscorer was Cyprus Oludhe. The striker was able to cut into a perfect position, and the wide midfielder, Victoria Olewele, hit it perfectly on the ground to him. Oludhe took one touch, and blasted the ball into the back of the net. They have taken their first step towards winning a league title.

5:31 PM: Just impressive stuff. Suddenly, Phoenix Stadium has been brought to life, and Namakula Kawesa will have quite the job on her hands. How can she get her Capitol City FC side to find the goal that is needed?

5:36 PM: The visitors seemed to have responded well to the goal on the outskirts of the Moravican capitol. They seem to be trying to take control and impose their will on this match, while the Phoenix seem content to hunker down all the way to halftime. Just now, the captain, Balinda Mwonda, launched a speculative effort from about 30 yards, and forced a diving, sprawling save from the home side's 20 year old goalkeeper, Sabiti Byalugonjo.

5:42 PM: AND WE'VE GOT A PENALTY OUTSIDE HERZEGOVINA CITY! Boy, this match is getting interesting now, isn't it? Everyone's leaving it all on the line. A great through ball from Lőrensz Ziczi.unleashed Kira Yacobe, who timed her run perfectly and got behind the Phoenix defenders to get in on goal. But the Phoenix defenders recovered- or, at least, thought they had. When she cut back, to try and get the ball onto her left foot, a sliding Phoenix defender barreled into her. The referee had no choice but to show red, and point to the spot. They give it to the 18 year old teenager, Jônn Wérséô, to take it from the spot. You can clearly see the nerves on his face. And he steps up to take it and...

5:43 PM: HE SKIES IT! OH NO! Wérséô, at the worst possible moment, chooses to lose all of his nerve and sail the penalty over the crossbar! Is it going to be that kind of night by Capitol City FC? The Phoenix fans are letting him have it, and even though there's a whole half and then some to go, some of them can already feel it- the 'promotion' and 'campeones' chants are being heard throughout the building.

5:48 PM: All three games have whistled into halftime. Here are your scores at 45 minutes and change at the three remaining grounds.

Jaribga Soccer Club 0–0 Kabakono City
Herzegovina Phoenix 1–0 Capitol City FC
Rukunbi FC 0-0 Dukuma SC

5:50 PM: What does this mean? We're going to see some offensive minded substitutions, and some pushing form here on out. Particularly from Capitol City FC, who are chasing a title away from home. You've got Pierres Bannon, a 37 year old midfielder and former OAM international, just sitting on the bench... Surely he'll come into the game. Will that be enough? The Busogan sides are going to chase as well... But look, there's a reason they're in the bottom 5. Things are looking gloomy for both of them- although, in both of those contests, just a lone goal can turn things on their heads.

6:04 PM: All three second halves have started simultaneously! Just one substitution- as we expected, Pierres Bannon into the game for Capitol City FC's left back, Kamirakwo Kalangirire- they have flipped into a back 3, while adding an extra midfielder. Will that be enough to put Capitol City FC over the top?

6:09 PM: Bannon has ALMOST scored a stunning equalizer! The former Oberour Ar Moro international put it on his right foot, took a step forward, and blasted a long shot from the 18, missing the post by inches. Capitol City FC is getting closer- but can they draw level?

6:13 PM: A STUNNING SAVE FROM THE PHOENIX GOALKEEPER! He's kept it 1-0 to his side, but they are hanging on for dear life as the tension builds. Kira Yacobe will be kicking herself- it should surely be level at 1-1. Romualdo Costantini beat a couple of defenders on the dribble, and slid a cross through on the ground, to Yacobe in front of goal, from about 8 yards out. If she hit it anywhere besides directly at the keeper, the scores would be level- but the moment seemed too big. She blasted it directly at the keeper, who parried it away before Phoenix defender Vanilla Sweets cleared the ball away for a corner kick.

6:19 PM: And there's a goal in Istria! Things are going from bad to worse for Dukuma SC- despite their cup title, this is quite clearly a season from hell. From 9th to 18th. Rukunbi FC are using a heavily rotated squad, and they're still outplaying their opponents, with Amachey Chi scoring the goal for Rukunbi FC. Dukuma SC now need two- where are those goals coming from? Relegation playoff looking more and more likely.

6:22 PM: Jaribga Soccer Club almost takes the lead! A 63rd minute half-volley from Tanman Gundogan hit the crossbar, and dropped to the Territorial, Ramiah Otongo. Otongo had a gaping, wide open goal in front of him- and yet somehow, sent the ball flying into the 10th row. He's got his hands on his head, in a state of absolute shock and disbelief. That could have been the goal to clinch their birth in the BSL this season- yet, they're looking at a potential relegation playoff if things stay the same.

6:25 PM: THERE"S A PENALTY IN VDIZI! Oh my, a penalty to the Herzegovina Phoenix, almost entirely against the run of play. Off of a brilliant counter-attack started by Saul Obama, Ardent Blaze was flying forward, with numbers on her side. As she crossed into the box, CB Fatime Desiree took her down with a desperate challenge- but timed it all wrong. 66th minute penalty, the Phoenix have a chance to take this to 2-0, and effectively turn this state-owned club experiment on its head. Alexandra Owiti steps up to take the penalty... AND IT'S SAVED! AND IT'S SAVED! Owiti went to the keeper's left, and Dembe Ssekayombya was all over it, making a powerful save! The drama builds!

6:30 PM: IS THAT CAPITOL CITY FC WITH A GOAL?? YES IT IS! The momentum carried form Ssekayombya's penalty save almost certainly keeping Capitol City FC within title contention, and just 5 minutes later, they are rewarded with what might be the goal of the season! 18 year old central midfielder Madongo Wakeyo surely making his presence felt at the stadium, as he turned around and hit a stunning overhead bicycle kick. They've taken first place of the league table, and done so in style- an insane play! It's 1-1 at Phoenix Stadium, and remember- a draw is enough for Capitol City FC to win the league. Will it be enough here?

6:33 PM: THERE'S ANOTHER ONE! Surely, Capitol City FC has put this whole thing on ice! How dramatically the tables have turned here in the last 10 minutes. 8 minutes ago, the Phoenix were up 1-0, with a penalty they were about to take. Now, they were down 2-1. An absolutely brilliant counter-attack, finished by Lőrensz Ziczi. The 'kings of the capitol' are making themselves known. Was that enough to punch Capitol City FC's ticket to the Shango-Fogoa Premier League?

6:39 PM: Let's check in at the other grounds, should we? The Phoenix Stadium still looks stunned, and the Herzegovina Phoenix players themselves look like they've sustained a gut punch. Jaribga Soccer Club have 10 minutes to score 1, and Dukuma SC need two- but neither team looks to be threatening. There's a reason they are in the position that they are in- and it's looking more and more like we'll see not only one, but two Relegation Playoffs.

6:42 PM: The Phoenix have pulled level! Oh my, we're set for a crazy finish here! The 83rd minute slick header by Cyprus Oludhe means that the Phoenix are absolutely going to push for that last goal, and we're going to be set for the most desperate final 7 minutes of football that we've ever seen. This purple-clad crowd is surely alive, and bellowing their players on- but will it be enough?

6:47 PM: OH MY, That might have been a title-winning goal line clearance by Arinbjörn Markusson! The Phoenix had whipped in a corner kick, and Owiti had headed the ball towards goal. It deflected off of Desiree, however, and while the keeper was diving one way, the ball was slowly bouncing the other way. Just as it was about to cross the touch line fully into the back of the net, a sliding Arinbjörn Markusson, came from absolutely nowhere and cleared the ball off of its back line. Insanity! Just two minutes left of regular time- plus some stoppage.

6:49 PM: Stoppage time! Just 2 minutes in Jaribga, 3 in Rukunbi, but five minutes given here at Phoenix Stadium. The Phoenix need just one more- can they find it?

6:51 PM: Full time on the North Island! Jaribga Soccer Club never truly threatened to score, and the game has finished 0-0. They will play in a Relegation Playoff- although their opponent is yet to be confirmed, pending on the result in Banija's largest city.

6:52 PM: And full time in Istria as well! Rukunbi FC end the season with a 1-0 win, and garner a little bit of momentum heading into the LBCT Qualification Playoff. Dukuma SC will finish in the bottom 5, and also have a relegation playoff as well. All in all, a terribly disappointing season for Busogan football. 4 teams in the BSL, the highest ever- yet, they occupy a majority of the bottom 5 places in this 22 team league. But it was expected to be rough to start off- over time, this should raise the standard on the Busoga Islands, right?

6:55 PM: They're at 90+6', and the Capitol City FC players and fans are screaming at the referee to blow his whistle. But the Phoenix seem to have one last attack in them. A free kick in good crossing range, as the defenders, and even the keeper, jog forward. Laula Gardener is going to whip it in... And the cross is caught by Dembe Ssekayombya! AND THERE'S NO MORE TIME LEFT! THE REFEREE BLOWS HIS WHISTLE THREE TIMES, AND CAPITOL CITY FC PLAYERS POUR ON THE FIELD TO CELEBRATE! League champs!

6:57 PM: The Phoenix fans stay to applaud their team on their season. It was a stunning one, really- they were projected to finish mid-table. But they found a formula, and almost pushed all the way for promotion. It's an older team, so who knows if they can do it again? But truly, a masterful coaching job by Reinhard Drake.

6:58 PM: But the real story of the day are the champions. There's a lot of off-the-field controversy about how they got here, but Namakula Kawesa, the manager, is in tears- they aren't worried about that at the moment. The away fans are going crazy- and La Olla is absolutely a fiesta. You've got Farves and Banijans in that neighborhood singing together, celebrating together... and those who made the away trip having one hell of a time. "This is what the sport is all about- the beauty of football!" Namakula Kawesa told reporters after the fact. "To the top flight- we're coming!"

FULL TIME SCORES

Jaribga Soccer Club 0–0 Kabakono City
Herzegovina Phoenix 2-2 Capitol City FC
Rukunbi FC 1–0 Dukuma SC

Final Table

BSL                            Pld   W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Capitol City FC             42   29   9   4   131   40  +91    96 - League champion, promoted to the S-FPL, Qualifies for the LBCT
 2 Herzegovina Phoenix         42   29   7   6   130   44  +86    94 - Qualifies for the LBCT
 3 Lakiska SC                  42   27   3  12    49   32  +17    84 - Qualifies for the BSL LBCT Qualification Playoff
 4 Askatasuna FC               42   25   8   9   101   50  +51    83 - Qualifies for the BSL LBCT Qualification Playoff
 5 Busembe Timberwolves        42   25   7  10   101   59  +42    82 - Qualifies for the BSL LBCT Qualification Playoff
 6 Rukunbi FC                  42   23   9  10   107   51  +56    78 - Qualifies for the BSL LBCT Qualification Playoff
 7 Kabakono City               42   19  10  13    67   56  +11    67
 8 Bunyoro RSC                 42   18   9  15    78   76   +2    63
 9 Umbazi Metropolitan SC      42   17  11  14    73   74   −1    62
10 Sororo City                 42   18   6  18    30   39   −9    60
11 Barmos United               42   16  11  15    52   53   −1    59
12 Lwanga Lions                42   14  10  18    63   75  −12    52
13 Ogbordu Diamond FC          42   14   8  20    39   45   −6    50
14 Igulu City FC               42   13  11  18    69   85  −16    50
15 Duntho Sporting Club        42   15   5  22    42   79  −37    50
16 Isipongo Flash              42   13   6  23    68   83  −15    45
17 Amaku City SC               42   13   6  23    45   66  −21    45
18 Jaribga Soccer Club         42   11  11  20    43   68  −25    44 - Will take on Kocakhan AFC in the Busogan Promotion Playoff
19 Dukuma SC                   42   13   5  24    37   65  −28    44 - Will take on Beirutspor in the Busogan Promotion Playoff
20 Corizova United             42   10   9  23    59  104  −45    39 - Will take on Mamari City in the BLS Qualifier
21 Luguyala Patriots           42    5  12  25    34   79  −45    27 - Relegated to the Banijan Regional Leagues
22 Nezrouch Rovers             42    6   5  31    33  128  −95    23 - Relegated to the Busogan National League

LBCT Qualification Playoff
Because of concerns about fixture congestion, there has been a change to the format! Voted on mid-season by BSL club owners, the top 4 teams still will automatically qualify for the LBCT Qualification Playoff. But instead of a double round robin(6 games after 42 already played), it'll just be a traditional playoff. 3v6 and 4v5, in one game, played as a home game for the better-finishing team. That game will be played until there is a winner. Winners will play in the LCBT Qualification Playoff Final, at the Stadium of the Restoration.

Semifinals

Lakiska SC 0–0 Rukunbi FC (0–0 AET) (2–4 pen.)
Askatasuna FC 0–0 Busembe Timberwolves (1–0 AET)

Off to the South Island, for the first semifinal! Lakiska SC has earned home field advantage, because they finish higher in the table- and they will host their semifinal against Rukunbi FC. And the second semifinal was up north, at Askatasuna FC. Both games were tight, nerve-filled contests- despite all the goals these guys scored during the season, both contests finished 0-0 after 90 minutes. Askatasuna FC were able to earn a victory in extra time of their contest, however, with Lachlan Holdaway scoring a headed goal in the 112th minute- which was the difference.

Lakiska SC v. Rukunbi were 0-0 after 120, and went all the way to penalties. But Rukunbi FC were ready for the moment. Despite being away from home, they were a perfect 4-4 from the spot. Their veteran goalkeeper was ready for the moment. He saved Lakiska's 2nd and 4th penalty attempts, taken by Batte Sabiti and Akyol Aslan, respectively. Onwards to Busukuma!

Final

Rukunbi FC 1–0 Askatasuna FC

The 91,835 seater was packed to full capacity, as the LCBT Qualification Playoff match reached its zenith. But it would be the big city Istria side that would triumph on this day. Despite finishing 6th in the league, they battled their way to this point, to reach the LCBT Qualification Playoff Final. Did not concede over 120 minutes away from home in Lakiska, and did not concede on this day either. The defense was suffocating, and one goal, a 42nd minute strike from Tyrone Barrett, was enough to put the team into IFCF competition for the upcoming season.

Busogan Promotion Playoff

Kocakhan AFC 0–2 Jaribga SC (Jaribga Soccer Club will RETAIN their spot in the Banijan Soccer League)
Beirutspor 0–3 Dukuma SC (Dukuma SC will RETAIN their spot in the Banijan Soccer League)

The Promotion Playoffs! How exciting. Disappointing for the Busogan BSL sides that they got here- if they finished above 18th, they wouldn't be playing in this match. But both sides were determined to prove they were worthy of staying up, and that's exactly what they did. Dukuma SC dominated Beirutspor, scoring all three of their goals within the first half hour, and showing the gulf between their side and Beirutspor. Jaribga SC did not quite emphatically take care of duty in the same way against Kocakhan AFC- but a goal in the 51st minute, followed by a Kocakhan AFC own goal in the 62nd, was enough to keep their spot in the BSL.

They'll want to do better next year. But at least, for Dukuma SC, an incredibly disappointing season was not an outright disaster- at least, not as much as a disaster as falling from 9th place to 19th place, year over year, can be in a league. Still, first year manager David Ondiek was fired by the club after the contest, saying that while he 'brought joy to this club' with their cup title, their domestic season 'was not nearly good enough'. That's how it is at the highest levels.

For Kocakhan AFC and Beirutspor, the results were expected, but disappointing all the same. Win one game at home to get promoted? That's an opportunity everybody would look. For both teams to get dominated like that, shows how far they have to go. But the Busogan National League should be wide open next year- dare we say that Kocakhan AFC open up as the favorites to win that?

BLS Qualifier

Mamari City 2–1 Corizova United (Mamari City are PROMOTED to the BSL while Corizova United are RELEGATED to the Banijan Regional Leagues)

And now, for the BLS Qualifier. Remember when Corizova United were the darlings of lower league football? Yeah, so do we. 20th place finish is maddeningly disappointing- and now they've got to play in a BLS Qualifier in Mamari City. This is Samba Kouyaté's 16th season at the club, and it's clear he's lost all touch. Mamari City simply blitzed Corizova United to start the game, scoring twice in the opening 15 minutes, and holding on for a 2-1 victory. Samba Kouyaté resigned immediately after the match, saying that the relegation was 'the darkest moment' in Corizova United's long history.

Mamari City, on the other hand, have a spectacular promotion to celebrate. What a moment- off to the second flight. And Corizova United, buried in the regional leagues, have so many questions to ask.

by **Banija** » Tue Mar 07, 2023 9:49 pm

Banijan College Soccer - Year 10 of the S-FPL Era

College soccer in Banija is ran by the Banijan Collegiate Sports Group(BCSG), which runs all college sports in the country. College soccer is not officially part of the professional soccer pryamid for that reason- they are college athletes. Banija's 72 Division I schools(including Busoga's lone institution) are organized as follows, into eight conferences of 9 teams each. Historically, college soccer in Banija has mostly been a women's sport, while the academy side has been largely dominated by the men. WIth the sport integrated on gender in Banija now, there are no more women's or men's teams- just co-ed teams. However, due to the history and the culture, Banijan college rosters are about 80% female.

The format goes like this. There is a 16 game regular season- double round robin within your conference. Then, 16 teams advance to what is called the Round of Terror. There are 8 conference champions, plus a committee invites 8 more based off of the eye test(and whatever metrics they so choose). They are then divided into four groups of four. This group's draw only restriction is that each group must have exactly two conference champions, and two at-large invitees. They play a double round robin within their groups, with the group winners advancing to what's called the Final Four. The interesting twist here- there can be no ties for first place in these groups. If there is a two-way tie for first place, there must be an extra play-in game between the two teams for the right to reach the Final Four.

The Final Four takes place at a different, pre-determined neutral site every year. The group winners are seeded for the semifinals, which are one game, do or die- with the National Championship Game taking place 4 days later at the very same stadium.

Regular Season

Final Regular Season Conference Standings

   Northern 9 Conference                               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 University of Bwaruya Penguins                       16    9   4   3    18   14   +4    31 - Conference Champions, auto-qual for the Round of Terror
 2 Northern Moravica University Cougars                 16    9   1   6    27   17  +10    28
 3 Aksum State Stars                                    16    8   4   4    16   14   +2    28
 4 Zawadi University Anacondas                          16    7   3   6    13   14   −1    24
 5 University of Aksum Silverbacks                      16    6   2   8    18   20   −2    20
 6 Igara University Ravens                              16    6   2   8    11   14   −3    20
 7 Central Aksum Titans                                 16    4   6   6    18   19   −1    18
 8 Moravica A&M Centaurs                                16    5   3   8    20   22   −2    18
 9 Moravica International Sea Dragons                   16    3   5   8     9   16   −7    14

   Upper Coastal Conference                            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Loyola-Istria Blue Thunder                           16   12   3   1    30   13  +17    39 - Conference Champions, auto-qual for the Round of Terror
 2 Istria City College King Crabs                       16    9   1   6    24   18   +6    28
 3 Lake Wakiso State Lukwata                            16    7   5   4    12    8   +4    26
 4 Moravica State Jackrabbits                           16    7   2   7    24   22   +2    23
 5 Islamic University of Busoga Caracals                16    6   5   5    19   17   +2    23
 6 Central Moravica Tech Springboks                     16    6   4   6    18   15   +3    22
 7 Kabonero III University Hyenas                       16    4   7   5    16   15   +1    19
 8 Wild Valley University Golden Hornets                16    5   2   9    15   22   −7    17
 9 Budaka College for Literature and the Arts           16    1   1  14     7   35  −28     4

   Valley Interior Conference                          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Lake Alexandre State Vipers                          16    8   4   4    19   12   +7    28 - Co-Conference Champions, auto-qual for the Round of Terror
 1 West Bunyoro Tigersharks                             16    8   4   4    19   12   +7    28 - Co-Conference Champions, auto-qual for the Round of Terror
 3 Hangaza State White Tigers                           16    6   7   3    18   14   +4    25
 4 University of Moravica Golden Bears                  16    7   4   5    15   13   +2    25
 5 University of Hangaza Gazelle                        16    6   6   4    15   15    0    24
 6 Loyola-Jinja Ostriches                               16    6   4   6    16   16    0    22
 7 Western Hangaza Timberwolves                         16    6   1   9    14   15   −1    19
 8 North Kitara Wild Dogs                               16    4   3   9    13   23  −10    15
 9 Arlenia College Leopards                             16    4   1  11     9   18   −9    13

   Southern Shango Conference                          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Jawara Tech Cheetahs                                 16    8   4   4    22   15   +7    28 - Conference Champions, auto-qual for the Round of Terror
 2 Bunyoro A&M Waterbucks                               16    8   4   4    14   13   +1    28
 3 Sankt Adelheid Sea Eagles                            16    7   5   4    16   12   +4    26
 4 Kizza I College Cubs                                 16    6   6   4    19   15   +4    24
 5 North Anknole Headhunting Sloughis                   16    6   4   6    18   16   +2    22
 6 Loyola-Busukuma Crusaders                            16    5   5   6    14   14    0    20
 7 Thabiso University Giraffes                          16    5   4   7    13   16   −3    19
 8 University of Ankole Warriors                        16    3   7   6    14   18   −4    16
 9 Banijan Star and Crescent Cape Cobras                16    3   3  10    15   26  −11    12

   Kuanen River Conference                             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 University of Bunyoro Triceratopses                  16    8   5   3    20   16   +4    29 - Conference Champions, auto-qual for the Round of Terror
 2 Hangaza Tech River Rats                              16    8   4   4    24   18   +6    28
 3 Lesedi University Rhinos                             16    7   7   2    18   12   +6    28
 4 North Hangaza University Bullfrogs                   16    7   4   5    22   16   +6    25
 5 Bunyoro State Zebras                                 16    6   6   4    25   20   +5    24
 6 Nsade State Fighting Hogs                            16    6   6   4    19   16   +3    24
 7 Hangaza A&M Bull Elephants                           16    4   5   7    15   18   −3    17
 8 Dodoma City College Warrior Toads                    16    4   2  10    12   19   −7    14
 9 Albert II College Phoenix                            16    2   1  13    15   35  −20     7

   Lower Coastal Conference                            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kabakono University Night Owls                       16    8   5   3    22   15   +7    29 - Conference Champions, auto-qual for the Round of Terror
 2 Central Kitara Dingoes                               16    8   2   6    21   13   +8    26
 3 University of Kitara Hippogriffs                     16    6   6   4    17   16   +1    24
 4 South Kitara Sea Lions                               16    6   6   4    13   14   −1    24
 5 Navy Seamen                                          16    6   3   7    17   16   +1    21
 6 Akwadua University Moon Rabbits                      16    6   2   8    17   19   −2    20
 7 Army Raiders                                         16    5   4   7    15   18   −3    19
 8 Mamari University Sand Spiders                       16    5   4   7    13   16   −3    19
 9 Air Force Pegasi                                     16    4   4   8    10   18   −8    16

   Sun Valley Conference                               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Musulu College Black Herons                          16    8   4   4    27   18   +9    28 - Conference Champions, auto-qual for the Round of Terror
 2 Shidane University Sunbirds                          16    8   4   4    18    9   +9    28
 3 Heshima & Usian Guardian Angels                      16    8   3   5    22   14   +8    27
 4 University of Buganda Long-Tailed Lizards            16    8   2   6    18   15   +3    26
 5 Zakuta State Crocodiles                              16    6   6   4    14   12   +2    24
 6 Ankole Tech Moose                                    16    6   6   4    16   16    0    24
 7 Pumbasa University Pythons                           16    7   1   8    21   21    0    22
 8 Buganda State Green Mambas                           16    5   4   7    16   19   −3    19
 9 Ankole College for Creative Studies Butterflies      16    0   2  14     8   36  −28     2

   Banijan Athletic Conference                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Sarr University Wombats                              16    8   6   2    17    8   +9    30 - Conference Champions, auto-qual for the Round of Terror
 2 Mercy University Bunyoro Rabbits                     16    7   7   2    16   12   +4    28
 3 Fort Lusiyo University Elks                          16    7   6   3    19   12   +7    27
 4 Tree of Life University Okapi                        16    5   7   4    18   14   +4    22
 5 Ankole State Killer Whales                           16    5   5   6    14   14    0    20
 6 Eastern Hangaza Platypuses                           16    5   5   6    12   15   −3    20
 7 Kitara Tech Buffalo                                  16    3   6   7    11   17   −6    15
 8 University of the Hills Highland Hares               16    3   6   7    14   21   −7    15
 9 Buganda Agricultural School Chimpanzees              16    3   4   9    10   18   −8    13

Round of Terror

Qualifiers

Conference Champions
Sarr University Wombats- BAC champions
Musulu College Black Herons- SVC champions
Kabakono University Night Owls- LCC champions
University of Bunyoro Triceratopses- KRC champions
Jawara Tech Cheetahs - SSC champions
Lake Alexandre State Vipers - Co-VIC champions
Loyola-Istria Blue Thunder- UCC champions
University of Bwaruya Penguins - Northern 9 champions

At-Large Invitees
Northern Moravica University Cougars
Aksum State Stars
Istria City College King Crabs
Lesedi University Rhinos
Hangaza Tech River Rats
West Bunyoro Tigersharks - Co-VIC champions. Auto-qual for the next round, but listed with the At-Large Invitees for Round of Terror group draw purposes only.
Bunyoro A&M Waterbucks
Hangaza State White Tigers

Round of Terror- Scores

Group A
Matchday 1
Jawara Tech Cheetahs 0–2 Lesedi University Rhinos
Loyola-Istria Blue Thunder 1–0 Istria City College King Crabs

Matchday 2
Lesedi University Rhinos 3–2 Istria City College King Crabs
Jawara Tech Cheetahs 1–2 Loyola-Istria Blue Thunder

Matchday 3
Loyola-Istria Blue Thunder 1–1 Lesedi University Rhinos
Istria City College King Crabs 1–0 Jawara Tech Cheetahs

Matchday 4
Lesedi University Rhinos 0–1 Jawara Tech Cheetahs
Istria City College King Crabs 2–0 Loyola-Istria Blue Thunder

Matchday 5
Istria City College King Crabs 1–3 Lesedi University Rhinos
Loyola-Istria Blue Thunder 1–0 Jawara Tech Cheetahs

Matchday 6
Lesedi University Rhinos 0–0 Loyola-Istria Blue Thunder
Jawara Tech Cheetahs 4–6 Istria City College King Crabs


  Group A                                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Lesedi University Rhinos                  6   3  2  1    9   5  +4   11*
1 Loyola-Istria Blue Thunder                6   3  2  1    5   4  +1   11*
3 Istria City College King Crabs            6   3  0  3   12  11  +1    9
4 Jawara Tech Cheetahs                      6   1  0  5    6  12  −6    3

*= Will have Final Four play-in game since no ties for first allowed in the Round of Terror. It will be played at Lesedi's home field due to their GD advantage.

Group B
Matchday 1
Sarr University Wombats 0–2 Northern Moravica University Cougars
Musulu College Black Herons 1–0 Hangaza State White Tigers

Matchday 2
Northern Moravica University Cougars 1–0 Hangaza State White Tigers
Sarr University Wombats 0–1 Musulu College Black Herons

Matchday 3
Musulu College Black Herons 0–3 Northern Moravica University Cougars
Hangaza State White Tigers 1–0 Sarr University Wombats

Matchday 4
Northern Moravica University Cougars 2–1 Sarr University Wombats
Hangaza State White Tigers 0–0 Musulu College Black Herons

Matchday 5
Hangaza State White Tigers 1–2 Northern Moravica University Cougars
Musulu College Black Herons 3–1 Sarr University Wombats

Matchday 6
Northern Moravica University Cougars 1–0 Musulu College Black Herons
Sarr University Wombats 2–1 Hangaza State White Tigers


  Group B                                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Northern Moravica University Cougars      6   6  0  0   11   2  +9   18 - Group winner, advances to the Final Four
2 Musulu College Black Herons               6   3  1  2    5   5   0   10
3 Hangaza State White Tigers                6   1  1  4    3   6  −3    4
4 Sarr University Wombats                   6   1  0  5    4  10  −6    3

Group C
Matchday 1
Kabakono University Night Owls 0–3 Aksum State Stars
University of Bunyoro Triceratopses 0–1 West Bunyoro Tigersharks

Matchday 2
Aksum State Stars 0–1 West Bunyoro Tigersharks
Kabakono University Night Owls 1–0 University of Bunyoro Triceratopses

Matchday 3
University of Bunyoro Triceratopses 3–1 Aksum State Stars
West Bunyoro Tigersharks 0–1 Kabakono University Night Owls

Matchday 4
Aksum State Stars 1–0 Kabakono University Night Owls
West Bunyoro Tigersharks 1–1 University of Bunyoro Triceratopses

Matchday 5
West Bunyoro Tigersharks 2–0 Aksum State Stars
University of Bunyoro Triceratopses 1–2 Kabakono University Night Owls

Matchday 6
Aksum State Stars 1–1 University of Bunyoro Triceratopses
Kabakono University Night Owls 1–2 West Bunyoro Tigersharks


  Group C                                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 West Bunyoro Tigersharks                  6   4  1  1    7   3  +4   13 - Group winner, advances to the Final Four
2 Kabakono University Night Owls            6   3  0  3    5   7  −2    9
3 Aksum State Stars                         6   2  1  3    6   7  −1    7
4 University of Bunyoro Triceratopses       6   1  2  3    6   7  −1    5

Group D
Matchday 1
University of Bwaruya Penguins 0–2 Hangaza Tech River Rats
Lake Alexandre State Vipers 2–2 Bunyoro A&M Waterbucks

Matchday 2
Hangaza Tech River Rats 0–2 Bunyoro A&M Waterbucks
University of Bwaruya Penguins 1–2 Lake Alexandre State Vipers

Matchday 3
Lake Alexandre State Vipers 2–0 Hangaza Tech River Rats
Bunyoro A&M Waterbucks 0–3 University of Bwaruya Penguins

Matchday 4
Hangaza Tech River Rats 1–0 University of Bwaruya Penguins
Bunyoro A&M Waterbucks 1–1 Lake Alexandre State Vipers

Matchday 5
Bunyoro A&M Waterbucks 1–0 Hangaza Tech River Rats
Lake Alexandre State Vipers 0–0 University of Bwaruya Penguins

Matchday 6
Hangaza Tech River Rats 1–1 Lake Alexandre State Vipers
University of Bwaruya Penguins 1–1 Bunyoro A&M Waterbucks


  Group D                                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Lake Alexandre State Vipers               6   2  4  0    8   5  +3   10 - Group winner, advances to the Final Four
2 Bunyoro A&M Waterbucks                    6   2  3  1    7   7   0    9
3 Hangaza Tech River Rats                   6   2  1  3    4   6  −2    7
4 University of Bwaruya Penguins            6   1  2  3    5   6  −1    5

Round of Terror: Final Four Play-In

Lesedi University Rhinos 0–2 Loyola-Istria Blue Thunder

Time for the round's only play-in. A surprise- The Blue Thunder were big time favorites to win their group, but the Lesedi University Rhinos matched them step for step throughout group play. The alma mater of possibly Banija's most famous college player- ex World Cup champion, Idai Uster. She, naturally, was there for the match. The stadium in Amaku, Bunyoro was packed- the campus' soccer stadium seating 12,000. It's been 33 years since Lesedi's been to a Final Four in women's soccer- and a chance, at home, to take down an absolute powerhouse of a program. The two teams battled out draws in both group stage matches- a 1-1 draw in Istria, and a 0-0 draw at home.

But unfortunately for the Rhinos, that 33 year drought for the Final Four would have to wait one more year. With the two teams not being able to gain an advantage over each other, some changes by the Blue Thunder illustrated the depth advantage they have over so many of their opponents- changing things up enough to ensure that the home crowd stayed disappointed. Quite normally for Bunyoro, they played in buckets of rain- but that did not effect the Blue Thunder(nor did the sound of actual thunder effect them). A 61st minute header by the Blue Thunder gave them the lead, and scoring on a counter just 6 minutes later effectively ended the contest. Off to the FInal Four- this year, out in Aissa!

Final Four
Hosted at the Hangaza Unified Stadium(cap. 55,000) in Aissa, Hangaza

Matchups
#1 Northern Moravica v. #4 Loyola-Istria
#2 West Bunyoro v. #3 Lake Alexandre State

The site selection this year for the BCSG- bold. Generally, they hold these events in 20 to 30,000 seater stadia across the country- lower division professional stadia. Obviously, the sport's got explosive popularity in this country- but fans traveling in massive numbers for college soccer is not a huge tradition in Banija. But there has been more popularity over the recent years, especially with population growth in the country. So they went bold- out to Aissa, to the 55,000 seater Hangaza Unified Stadium. Host of games at all sorts of major tournaments(two World Cups, two AOCAFs, a CoH, a BoF, etc...) locals, combined with traveling fans from elsewhere, absolutely paced the stadium.

Three sellouts. The matchups were beautiful. Although Loyola-Istria would have been the third seed, they were moved down to the four seed line because they did not win their group outright- a traditional BCSG rule surrounding this tournament. As they were in their biggest venue yet for this event, it was fitting to have the country's biggest rivalry, a North v. South Showdown, on display. NMU and Loyola-Istria absolutely despise each other, as college football fans are well aware of. But ever since NMU was forced out of the UCC about 15 years ago, they don't play each other as often, since this is one of those sports where non-con games are not guaranteed. Indeed, this semifinal matchup is huge- first time in three years where Loyola-Istria and Northern Moravica will meet on the pitch. This game, of course, happening on a Monday night.

While that's obviously the highlight semifinal, West Bunyoro v. Lake Alexandre State is also a tantalizing matchup Tuesday night semifinal. Both schools from the country's interior, both from very rural college towns- but towns that are especially obsessed with their teams. We're going to see a rural takeover of Aissa for Tuesday- as Banija's biggest folk music artist is a huge fan and known booster of West Bunyoro U.

Semifinal Scores
Northern Moravica University Cougars 0–0 Loyola-Istria Blue Thunder (1–1 AET) (1–2 pen.)
West Bunyoro Tigersharks 2–0 Lake Alexandre State Vipers

Let's start with the North v. South Showdown- the rivalry name for Northern Moravica v. Loyola-Istria. It was a nerve filled game, where everybody felt it for the entirety of the 90 minutes. Not really living up to the billing- both teams wanted to not lose. But in extra time, the two deepest and most historic Banijan sporting programs really opened up and tried to chase the win. Northern Moravica(who went a perfect 6-0-0 in the Round of Terror) opened the scoring in the Hangaza capitol, with a worldie of a free kick in the 107th minute. The red half exploding, the blue half in silence. But the Blue Thunder were not going to give up. They pushed, and pushed for an equalizer, until they got one- a weak footed volley in the 118th.

A pair of spectacular goals, and the latest chapter of this archrivalry would be forced to be settled on penalty kicks. So much pressure- a chance to forever have bragging rights over your archrivals, and make the national championship game in one fell swoop. The takers clearly felt the pressure. The first shooters on each side skied their penalties. Loyola's second shooter scored, but NMU's had her's saved. Loyola's third shooter scored as well, and NMU finally converted a kick. The Blue Thunder's fourth shooter had her penalty saved, while NMU's hit the post. The Blue Thunder's fifth shooter had her penalty saved- but NMU's fifth penalty was saved as well. 10 penalties, just 3 into the back of the net- showing you the pressure these lads were under. But the Blue Thunder won- jubilation for Loyola-Istria, pure ecstasy. Famous Loyola-Istria alumni, like former NSCF QB Isaka Jawara, were there, wildly celebrating. Pure despair on the side of Northern Moravica.

They were celebrating like they had won a title. But the next day- West Bunyoro would take on the Lake Alexandre State Vipers for a chance to make the national championship. These two were actually very familiar with each other- Valley Interior Conference rivals. Hell, Valley Interior Co-champions- a situation where both teams got autobids. Their regular season resumes were, quite literally, the exact same- 8 wins, 4 draws, 4 losses, with 19 goals for and 12 conceded. Each team scored a 2-0 home win over the other in the regular season. This was where the rubber met the road- who was the true VIC champion? And more importantly- who would have the chance to play for a national championship?

That would belong to the West Bunyoro Tigersharks. Sometimes, in a match like this, you can get ahead early. Some call it luck- others skill. But the Tigersharks set a record for earliest goal in semifinal history- just 27 seconds into the match, their striker was firing home a cutback pass. And 8 minutes later, they were heading home a corner. Not even 9 minutes into the game, already 2-0. The speed simple seemed to shock the Vipers. The Tigersharks were really able to control the game after that early, precision finishing, and the shocked Vipers could never really get things going. The Tigersharks were off to play for a national championship.

National Championship Game
Loyola-Istria Blue Thunder 0–1 West Bunyoro Tigersharks

The Blue Thunder were big favorites- as they were basically whenever they took the field, basically in any college sport in Banija. How much of a favorite were they? From a historic viewpoint, think of it like this. Blue Thunder soccer(history dating back to women's soccer as well) has a total of 21 national championships. West Bunyoro? Just 2- when they went back-to-back 20 and 19 years ago. But West Bunyoro's coach was ready. "It's not about a fight over who's history books are thicker. It's who's the better team, on the day- and that, will be us. Screw the duopoloy of the Big 2." The Big 2, of course, referring to Loyola-Istria & Northern Moravica.

But the Blue Thunder were coming off of a highly emotionally charged win, over their archrival. Five days ago, yes- but could they recover enough to get up for the national championship game? They were too wired, the calmness was not there- they were not prepared for the stage. And West Bunyoro seemed ready for this stage, for the challenge. They were the better team for the lion's share of the contest, and their #10 curling in a shot from distance, in the 52nd minute, was a well-deserved gaining of the lead. That's all they needed. The Blue Thunder could not break down their stout defense, and they threw their arms in the air- West Bunyoro, national champions!

Banija's one of those places where even directional schools can regularly achieve glory. And West Bunyoro have done just that- national champions. What a ride, what a team, what a season. It doesn't get better than this, right?

by **Banija** » Sun Mar 26, 2023 11:07 pm

Banija's Regional Soccer Leagues in the S-FPL Era- Year 11

The Royal Banijan Soccer Association(RBSA), in conjunction with the Busoga Islander Soccer Association(BISA). is proud to present the third tier of the soccer pyramid in both Banija and the Busoga Islands- the Regional League system. Remember, as of last season, The Northwestern League no longer exists, having been split into the Moravican State League, and the Busogan National League. They will join the Lower Coastal League, the Northern League, and the Southern League as the two nation's third tier now consists of 50 teams, spread across 5 leagues.

This will be the twentieth season of full integration of the Regional League System into the Banijan soccer pyramid. Years 1-9 this served as the 2nd tier of the Banijan soccer pyramid, but now it is in its 11th season as the country's third tier with the formation of the Shango-Fogoa Premier League. There is no relegation as this is the final professional tier in the Banijan league system. Promotion happens on a national basis- separate promotion/relegation process for the Busogan teams, as the Banijan teams.

For the Banijan teams, the four regional champions will enter into a promotion playoff against each other. Randomly paired against each other for a two legged playoff(away goals rule still in effect in Banija), with a Promotion Playoff Final between the winners of the ties at the Stadium of the Restoration. Winner goes up to the BSL(2nd tier), while the last placed Banijan side in the BSL is relegated to the regional leagues. There is potential for a second team- the Promotion Playoff Final loser will advance to the BSL Qualifier. That is a two-legged tie against the second worst Banijan side in the BSL. First leg hosted by the BSL side, the second leg hosted by the Banijan team, with the winner getting into the BSL.

Of course, the Corizova rule remains in place- although functionally reset by the promotion of all four champions last year. The Corizova rule is this- any team that wins their regional league for three seasons in a row, earns automatic promotion to the BSL(without having to go through the Promotion Playoff). Of course, while that has always been a rule, it has never come into play.

On the Busogan side, they have their own set of rules. The champion is promoted, and if the worst finishing Busogan team in the BSL finishes 10th or worse, then that is automatic. If the worst finishing Busogan team is 9th or 8th, there is a one game playoff, hosted by the Busogan National League champion. If the worst finishing Busogan team in the BSL finishes 4th through 7th, the one game playoff is hosted by that very Busogan BSL side. If the worst finishing Busogan team is third or better(this would require for there to be at least one Busogan team in the S-FPL), then there is no pro/rel that season.

Of course, that's extremely unlikely considering how Busogan teams have generally performed since the beginning of the modern era. On the other hand, there could be multiple promotions/relegations. Any Busogan team that finishes 18th or worse(out of 22) in the BSL, must 'earn their place' in the league. So, for example, if only one team is 18th or worse- then they are automatically relegated. But what if, for example, three of the four Busogan teams in the BSL finish 18th or worse? Then the worst team is automatically relegated- but the other two would play in playoffs for their BSL slot. The second worst team would play the #2 team in the Busogan National League, while the third worst team would play the #3 team in the Busogan National League- those games, also one game playoffs, hosted by the National League sides.

You with us? Without further ado! The 50 regional league sides in Banija and the Busoga Islands!

Teams Promoted from last season out of the regional leagues
Tezirbu Foxes(Busogan National League Winner)
Bwubanza City SC(Southern League Winner, Promotion Playoff Winner)
Mamari City(Lower Coastal League winner, BSL Qualifier Play-In Winner)

Teams relegated from BSL into the regional leagues this season
Nezrouch Rovers(finished in last place in the BSL)
Luguyala Patriots(finished in second last place in the BSL)
Corizova United(BSL Qualifier Play-In Loser)

Note: Both Banijan teams relegated from the BSL last season are playing outside their assigned regional league. Corizova United, in Moravica, will be playing in the Southern League, while the Luguyala Patriots, playing in Aksum, will join the Lower Coastal League.

Busogan National League
Consists only of teams from the Busoga Islands
(Only the Rovers and Foresters are pre-existing before last season, coming from the Northwestern League. The other 8 teams are all just one season old.
1. Nezrouch Rovers. NR. Location: Nezrouch, Busoga. Color: Blue.

2. Tripoli Foresters. TRI. Location: Tripoli, North Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Green.

3. Beirutspor. BET. Location: Beirut, North Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Red.

4. Independence FK. IND. Location: Dukuma, North Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Blue.

5. Castra Bostra FK. Location: Dukuma, North Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Black and Yellow.

6. Kocakhan AFC. Location: Kocakhan, North Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Purple.

7. Altica FC. Location: Altica, South Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Red.

8. Osmazar Wallabies. Location: Osmazar, South Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Green.

9. Serizar FC. Location: Serizar, South Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Blue.

10. Lakiska Kangaroos. Location: Lakiska, South Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Red.

The Moravican First Division
Region- Moravica.
1. Taramazna United. TMU. Location: Taramazna, Moravica. Color: Blue.

2. AFC Kosactus. AFCK. Location: Kosactus, Moravica. Color: Red.

3. Eastern Moravica Football Club. EMFC. Location: Iziarad, Moravica. Color: Scarlet.

4. Slobochia Bears. SBB. Location: Slobochia, Moravica. Color: Purple.

5. Koszagard City. KZC. Location: Koszagard, Moravica. Color: Orange.

6. Suwawa FC. SFC. Location: Suwawa, Moravica. Color: Green.

7. Lake Wakiso AFC. Location: Burusazi, Moravica. Located on the shores of Lake Wakiso, in the interior of the Moravica Region. Color: Blue.

8. New Olympus FC. Location: Lower East Side, Istria, Moravica. Color: Black and Gold.

9. Ruhanga SC. Location: Ruhanga, Moravica. Color: Green.

10. Gazaea Thunder. Location: Gazea, Moravica. Color: Purple.

The Lower Coastal League
Regions: Ankole, Kitara, National Capitol Region (+1 Aksum)
1. Nsade United. NDU. Location: Nsade, Ankole. Colors: Blue.

2. Baleweye Football Club. BFC. Location: Baleweye, Ankole. Colors: Turquoise.

3. Luguyala Patriots. LGY. Location: Luguyala, Aksum. Colors: Red.

4. Kitara Athletic Society. KAS. Location: Kiala, Kitara. Colors: Pink.

5. Kwadama Dojo. KWD. Location: Kwadama, Ankole. Colors: Red.

6. Dioro Athletic. DJA. Location: Djoro, Kitara. Colors: Green.

7. Dimbogourou Sporting Club. DSC. Location: Dimbogourou, Ankole. Colors: Purple.

.
8. AFC Akwadua. AKW. Location: Akwadua, Kitara. Colors: Blue.

9. Kiruvya Bulls. AKW. Location: Kiruvya, Kitara.. Colors: Red.

10. Zakuta City. ZKC. Location: Zakuta, Ankole. Located in the Uvibe Valley suburbs of Hoima. Colors: Green.

Northern League
Regions: Hangaza & Aksum.
1. Cerenus United. CNU. Location: Cerenus, Aksum. Colors: Pink.

2. AFC Okahavi. OKH. Location: Okahavi, Aksum. Colors: Red.

3. Garixas City. GXC. Location: Garixas, Hangaza. Colors: Blue.

4. Koksho City. KSH. Location: Koksho, Aksum. Colors: Green.

5. Thayaferu United. TYF. Location: Thayaferu, Aksum. Colors: Pink.

6. Nanami Dragons. NNI. Location: Jinja City, Hangaza. Colors: Orange.

7. Okakameb City. OKB. Location: Okakameb, Hangaza. Colors: Orange.

8. Gadive City. GDC. Location: Gadive City, Hangaza. Colors: Red.

9. Selekawe Knights. KNT. Location: Jinja City, Hangaza. Colors: Blue.

10. Pagazi Triceratopses. Location: Pagazi, Aksum. Color: Red.

Southern League
Regions: Buganda & Bunyoro (+1 Moravica)
1. Busemlu Park Sporting Club. BSM. Location: Busemlu Park, Buganda. Colors: Orange.

2. Abomfa United. ABM. Location: Abomfa, Buganda. Colors: Red.

3. Pumbasa Boars. PUM. Location: Pumbasa, Buganda. Colors: Orange.

4. Boufaya Ravens. BFY. Location: Boufaya, Buganda. Colors: Blue.

5. Byakado City. BYK. Location: Byakado, Bunyoro. Colors: Orange.

6. Kigagana Mountaineers. KGG. Location: Kigagana, Bunyoro. Colors: Blue.

7. Dodoma City Sporting Club. DCSC. Location: Dodoma, Bunyoro. Colors: Green.

8. Umbazi Footballers Association. UFA. Location: Umbazi, Buganda. Colors: Red.

9. Mukegara Warriors. MKG. Location: Mukegara, Bunyoro. Colors: Green.

10. Corizova United FC. CUFC. Location: Corizova, Moravica. Color: Gold.

by **Banija** » Mon Mar 27, 2023 9:30 am

Banija's Regional Soccer Leagues in the S-FPL Era- Year 11 Results

Without further ado!

Busogan National League

Busogan National League     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Serizar FC                   36   21   9   6    86   45  +41    72 - League champions, promoted to the BSL
 2 Independence FK              36   17  11   8    57   26  +31    62
 3 Nezrouch Rovers              36   18   7  11    72   47  +25    61
 4 Beirutspor                   36   17   7  12    61   52   +9    58
 5 Lakiska Kangaroos            36   12  14  10    48   49   −1    50
 6 Tripoli Foresters            36   13   8  15    50   45   +5    47
 7 Kocakhan AFC                 36   10  17   9    26   29   −3    47
 8 Castra Bostra FK             36   12   7  17    24   31   −7    43
 9 Altica FC                    36   10   6  20    49   84  −35    36
10 Osmazar Wallabies            36    5   4  27    37  102  −65    19

Serizar FC have become the first expansion team(from last season) to be promoted to the BSL, with 72 points being more than enough for a fantastic title win. It wasn't always initially clear that this would happen, however. It was the Nezrouch Rovers who got off to a stunningly fast start- earning 28 points through their first 11 games, for a 9-1-1 record. At that point in the season, they were 9 points clear of the rest of the table. At the halfway mark, MD18, the Rovers had 39 points, 9 points clear of Independence FK and Serizar FC, who both had 30 points and were the teams immediately behind Nezrouch in the table.

So the question begs- what happened? Nezrouch just collapsed. There's a reason they got relegated last season. The pressure of being favorites was too much, and their top tier defense became shockingly leaky. Think about it like this. MD18, they were 9 points clear, with 39 points. Just 7 weeks later, on MD25, Serizar FC were top of the table. The Rovers, across those 7 weeks, had earned just 5 points- just a lone win, 2 draws, and 4 losses. Never the kind of 2 month form you want from a team challenging for a league title- at any level. Serizar took the league lead on MD25, and never looked back. Their second half form of 13 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses, combined with the Rovers collapse, was enough to net them the league title comfortably- they clinched the league title with a 3-0 home win over Nezrouch on Matchday 33, with three weeks remaining in the season.

A well deserved league title- they will surely enjoy the BSL!

Moravican First Division

Moravican First Division    Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Suwawa FC                    36   23   7   6   102   48  +54    76 - League champions, qualify for the BSL Promotion Playoff
 2 Lake Wakiso AFC              36   21   7   8    94   53  +41    70
 3 New Olympus FC               36   19   9   8    88   50  +38    66
 4 Taramazna United             36   19   7  10   110   44  +66    64
 5 Eastern Moravica FC          36   19   7  10    67   52  +15    64
 6 AFC Kosactus                 36   11   5  20    47   56   −9    38
 7 Slobochia Bears              36    8  10  18    52  110  −58    34
 8 Gazaea Thunder               36    8   9  19    42   73  −31    33
 9 Koszagard City               36    9   6  21    51  106  −55    33
10 Ruhanga SC                   36    7   5  24    44  105  −61    26

Back-to-Back! Suwawa FC, after running away with the Moravican First Division with a shocking 19 point gap last season, have demonstrated its place among Moravican sides(lower league Moravican sides, anyways), by winning its second straight league title. This puts them back into the Promotion Playoff, which can only be a good thing. A chance to earn promotion once again- but if they fail, they could also possibly be the first Banijan team next season to take full advantage of the Corizova rule, and earn promotion via three league titles in a row.

The Moravican sides are all about scoring thunderous amounts of goals. The highest goalscoring team in the Busogan National League was their champions, Serizar FC, with 86 goals. Only one other team over there reached the two goals per game mark. But in this division? You had four teams eclipse the two goals per game mark, and three of them scored more than 2.5 goals per game. How Taramazna United only managed 4th place, while scoring 110 goals across the season, is unreal. But Suwawa FC's 102 goals would be enough to push them through to the Promotion Playoff. Can they get back to Banija's second tier?

Lower Coastal League

Lower Coastal League        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Zakuta City                  36   20   9   7   102   45  +57    69 - League champions, qualify for the BSL Promotion Playoff
 2 Nsade United                 36   21   5  10    78   52  +26    68
 3 Luguyala Patriots            36   18  11   7    72   45  +27    65
 4 Baleweye FC                  36   19   7  10    75   36  +39    64
 5 Kwadama Dojo                 36   17   7  12    76   58  +18    58
 6 AFC Akwadua                  36   11   9  16    41   51  −10    42
 7 Kitara Athletic Society      36    8  12  16    46   67  −21    36
 8 Dimbogourou SC               36    9   7  20    48   81  −33    34
 9 Djoro Athletic               36    8  10  18    46   87  −41    34
10 Kiruvya Bulls                36    7   7  22    55  117  −62    28

The tightest league table! This one was not decided until the Final Day. Just three points separated the top 3 teams heading into the final weekend- Zakuta City with 66 points, Nsade United with 65, and then Baleweye FC with 63. All those teams competing for a league title(admittedly Baleweye FC with a much smaller chance, due to their goal differential). All their final games were happening at the same time. Nsade United would be the first goalscorers of the day, with their #9 scoring a goal in the 4th minute to give the team a 1-0 lead. That early goal was all they would need- Nsade United, on the road against Dimbogourou SC, decided that they would simply try to wait it out, and hold that 1-0 lead.

They did just that. Of course, that put the pressure on Zakuta City to try and do something. And by golly, Zakuta City was successful. They scored their first goal in the 32nd minute, yes- but they just kept scoring. A 44th minute header made it 2-0 to Zakuta City over the last place Kiruvya Bulls at the break, but Zakuta City just kept pushing. Countering with authority, they scored 7 goals- and celebrated each one with more joy than the last. For good reason, too- they earned their first league title that way. That +57 goal differential- that's the best mark of any team across the regional leagues. Does that mean that they have the strength to win this Promotion Playoff and reach the BSL?

Northern League

Northern League             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Cerenus United               36   21   8   7   114   63  +51    71 - League champions, qualify for the BSL Promotion Playoff
 2 Garixas City                 36   21   6   9   107   56  +51    69
 3 Thayaferu United             36   19   8   9    80   58  +22    65
 4 Okakameb City                36   17  11   8    93   57  +36    62
 5 AFC Okahavi                  36   17   7  12    72   67   +5    58
 6 Gadive City                  36   14   6  16    66   77  −11    48
 7 Nanami Dragons               36   15   3  18    73   87  −14    48
 8 Pagazi Triceratopses         36    9   7  20    32   54  −22    34
 9 Selekawe Knights             36    6   7  23    58  108  −50    25
10 Koksho City                  36    6   7  23    45  113  −68    25

Despite there being only a two point gap in this table, do not be fooled- Cerenus United won this league comfortably. They won it with two games to spare, although, playing their backups in their last two games of the season, they lost both of those games. Look at the goalscoring records of these dudes- 114 goals across just 36 games. Cerenus United out here looking like a Farf club. They, like Suwawa FC, have won this league for the second season in a row- making a potential double application of the Corizova rule next season.

What more is there really to say here? They, like Suwawa FC, have a legitimate chance to win the Promotion Playoff and get to the BSL. They believe that they belong there- this has been one of Banija's most consistent lower league teams across a fairly long period of time. But they've got to earn that place on the field- can they do so this year?

Southern League

Southern League             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Busemlu Park SC              36   21   7   8    63   37  +26    70 - League champions, qualify for the BSL Promotion Playoff
 2 Corizova United              36   19  11   6    71   34  +37    68
 3 Pumbasa Boars                36   19  10   7    75   37  +38    67
 4 Byakado City                 36   16   6  14    70   56  +14    54
 5 Abomfa United                36   14   9  13    35   27   +8    51
 6 Kigagana Mountaineers        36   14   7  15    27   29   −2    49
 7 Dodoma City SC               36    8  13  15    50   71  −21    37
 8 Boufaya Ravens               36    8  12  16    45   52   −7    36
 9 Mukegara Warriors            36   10   5  21    55   76  −21    35
10 Umbazi FA                    36    8   6  22    45  117  −72    30

Busemlu Park SC have won the Southern League! With the league's defending champions up in the BSL, the Southern League was up for grabs- and a number of teams, including the recently relegated Corizova United, were making a serious case for themselves to be named league champions. Hell, with one Matchday left, there was a threeway tie for first place in the league- the Boars, Corizova United, and Busemlu Park SC all had 67 points. The Boars led on goal differential(+39), with Corizova United(+37) in second place, while Busemlu Park(+24) were in third place.

On the Final Day, Pumbasa would travel to Mukegara, Corizova would host Boufaya, and Busemlu Park would host Dodoma City SC.

A tough day for everybody involved, isn't it? You've got to do your own goalscoring, as well as keep an eye out on what was happening elsewhere. It would be the Mukegara Warriors who would actually score first on the day, with their #9 cashing in on a rebound following a save by the Boars goalkeeper. Suddenly, 1-0 to the Warriors- opening up things for Corizova United and Busemlu Park. While Busemlu Park SC did not score in the first half, Corizova United did have a goal of their own- a bending free kick. So when all three teams got to halftime, it was Corizova United who led in the live league table.

But the only table worth much is the final one, right? The live one is just there for shits and giggles, as they like to say. A terrible foul by Corizova United in the box saw them concede a penalty to the Boufaya Ravens. And while the initial penalty was saved, the rebound went straight to the taker, who buried it into the back of the net. Suddenly, it was 1-1 in Moravica, and Corizova United were not in the best position. Still, ahead in the league table- 68 points, if scores ended as they were, would give them the league title on goal differential.

But things were always bound to change. And they continued to do so- the Warriors would score again on the counter, in the 67th minute, to take a 2-0 lead over Pumbasa- functionally eliminating them from the title race. A two horse race now, with both Corizova United and Busemlu Park SC chasing goals. But Busemlu Park SC would find theirs- a 77th minute header, followed by a 79th minute counter, would mean two goals in two minutes, enough to take a 2-0 lead. And scores at that point would hold- Busemlu Park SC were the only one to reach 70 points, and ergo, league champions.

Banijan Promotion Playoff

There's been a late season change to the format, approved by the regional league owners. With the shrinking of the regional leagues two years ago from 12 teams each to 10 teams each, fixture congestion is 'no longer a huge concern' for the regional league owners. Ergo, they are moving towards a 'fairer' format. The four league champions will enter a double round robin mini league, games played home and away, where each team plays 6 games. Group winner is promoted, the second place team advances to the BSL Qualifier(which will now be played at the Stadium of the Restoration).

Results


Matchday 1
Zakuta City 2–3 Cerenus United
Busemlu Park SC 2–1 Suwawa FC

Matchday 2
Cerenus United 1–1 Suwawa FC
Zakuta City 2–1 Busemlu Park SC

Matchday 3
Busemlu Park SC 0–0 Cerenus United
Suwawa FC 0–0 Zakuta City

Matchday 4
Cerenus United 2–3 Zakuta City
Suwawa FC 0–1 Busemlu Park SC

Matchday 5
Suwawa FC 1–2 Cerenus United
Busemlu Park SC 1–0 Zakuta City

Matchday 6
Cerenus United 2–1 Busemlu Park SC
Zakuta City 1–1 Suwawa FC


  BSL Promotion Playoff Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cerenus United          6   3  2  1   10   8  +2   11 - BSL Promotion Playoff Winner, Earned Promotion to the BSL for next season
2 Busemlu Park SC         6   3  1  2    6   5  +1   10 - Earned berth in the BSL Qualifier
3 Zakuta City             6   2  2  2    8   8   0    8
4 Suwawa FC               6   0  3  3    4   7  −3    3

This was a new format for the Promotion Playoff, and it got some solid reviews from fans across the country. All the games being played at home stadia- a better chance for fans to see their teams, playing close to home. Another disastrous Promotion Playoff for Suwawa FC, however- despite two consecutive league titles, coming here and finishing in dead last, with three losses and three draws, without a single win, has to be a huge disappointment. They've got to go back to the drawing board and figure things out- fix whatever needs to be fixed so they can end their third league title in a row next season.

Zakuta City had a respectable effort as well- 8 goals conceded, 8 goals scored, 8 points earned- with a 2-2-2 record. Some odd symetry, yes- although they did not earn a spot to compete for promotion, 8 points here is probably fairly well done for a club that in no way even expected to be in this position. Of course, as many will tell you- promotion from the regional leagues is brutal, and you've got to take the chance as they come. But perhaps this could be built on?

This Promotion Playoff all came down to one game. After 5 games, Busemlu Park SC had 10 points, and Cerenus United had 8 points. Cerenus United would host Busemlu Park on the final matchday. Chasing a goal, yes- but this is a team who scored 114 league goals this season. Surely they can score a goal or two here, when they need it most? The answer was yes. Each of their wingers scored in the first half, to take a 2-0 lead into the break. They'd need to take all three points, though- a draw would not do. Busemlu Park SC scored in the 67th minute to make it 2-1, and cause a mad scramble for the last 23 minutes plus stoppage.

All sorts of chances- but they simply could not finish. It was Cerenus United who would earn direct promotion! While Busemlu Park SC booked a date in Busukuma. A hell of a season for both teams.

by **Banija** » Mon Apr 24, 2023 9:25 am

Banijan Soccer League in the S-FPL Era- Year 11 Preview & Basic Information

The Banijan Soccer League(BSL) is the second tier of the Banijan & Busogan soccer pyramid. It consists of 18 Banijan teams, and 4 Busogans. Promotion to the S-FPL is quite simple- the league champion is promoted to the big leagues, the Shango-Fogoa Premier League. The worst finishing Banijan/Busogan team in the S-FPL is relegated down to the BSL. Pro/Rel between this league and the reigonal tiers, however, is slightly more complicated.

Relegation from the BSL happens on a national basis. On the Banijan side, it is fairly simple. The worst Banijan team is relegated to the regional leagues. The second-worst Banijan team shall play in a two-legged playoff against the BSL Promotion Playoff Final loser, for the right to join the BSL. Away goals still exist in Banija- and the BSL side will be the home side for the first leg, while the regional league side will be the home side for the second leg.

On the Busogan side, it is much more complicated. The worst finishing Busogan team, if they finish 10th or worst, is automatically relegated to the Busogan National League(BNL). That league's champion is promoted to the BSL. Simple enough, right? But it gets more complicated than that. If the worst finishing Busogan side finishes higher than 10th, they have a chance to earn back their spot in the BSL. If they finish 8th or 9th, they can earn back their spot by winning a one game playoff against the Busogan National League champions- on the road. If they finish 4th through 7th, it is the same thing- except that playoff is at home. And if that side somehow happens to get into the top 3(meaning there is at least one Busogan side in the S-FPL), then there will simply be no pro/rel that season on the Busogan side.

But that's not all! If multiple Busogan sides finish in the bottom 5, the other sides must compete in a playoff to earn their spot in the BSL. For example, imagine Busogan side A finishes 21st, another finishes 20th, and another finishes 18th. Then the 21st team is automatically relegated. The 20th team will play the 2nd place team in the Busogan National League in a one-game playoff, and the 18th place side will play the 3rd place team in the Busogan National League in a one game playoff. In this scenario, those one game playoffs will be hosted by the teams in the Busogan National League.

Got all that? One more thing to figure out- LBCT spots! The top 4 teams still will automatically qualify for the LBCT Qualification Playoff. 3v6 and 4v5, in each of the semifinals, with the 3rd and 4th place teams playing at home. The semifinals will each be played until there is a winner- no replays. Winners will play in the LBCT Qualification Playoff Final, at the Stadium of the Restoration.

That's everything! Let's make this happen, eh?

Last season's participants who left
Capitol City FC- promoted to the S-FPL
Nezrouch Rovers- Relegated to the Busogan National League
Luguyala Patriots- Relegated to the Banijan Regional Leagues
Corizova United- Relegated to the Banijan Regional Leagues

Joining the BSL this Season
Hawabark Boulders- Relegated from the S-FPL
Tezirbu Foxes- Promomted from the Busogan National League
Bwubanza City SC- Promoted from the Banijan Regional Leagues
Mamari City- Promoted from the Banijan Regional Leagues

Roster Key-
Underlined players are Banijan internationals.
Nationality is listed if they are not Banijan.
Italicized players are internationals for a foreign country.
All players are male unless otherwise specified.

Teams in the Banijan Soccer League-
1. Amaku City Football Club. ACFC. Location: Amaku, Bunyoro. Colors: Red.

2. Askatasuna Football Club. ASK. Location: Askatasuna, Aksum. Colors: Green & White.

3. Barmos United. BU. Loction: Barmos, Moravica. Color: Green.

4. Bunyoro Regional Sporting Club. BRSC. Location: Dodomo, Bunyoro. Colors: Blue.

5. BUSEMBE TIMBERWOLVES. BTMW. Location: Busembe, Kitara.

6. Hawabark Boulders. HWB. Loction: Hawabark, Buganda. Colors: Red.

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7. Mamari City. MMC. Loction: Mamari, Kitara. Colors: Blue.

8. Dukuma Sporting Club. DSC. Location: Dukuma, North Island, Busoga Islands. Colors: Purple & white.

9. Duntho Sporting Club. DUN. Loction: Duntho, Hangaza. Colors: Green.

10. Herzegovina Phoenix. PHX. Location: Vdizi, Moravica.

11. Igulu City Football Club. ICFC. Location: Igulu, Hangaza. Colors: Blue.

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12. Isipongo Flash. IF. Location: Isipongo, Buganda. Colors: Black & white.

13. Jaribga Soccer Club. JSC. Location: Jaribga, North Island, Busoga Islands. Color: Blue.

14. Kabakono City. KBC. Location: Kabakona, Kitara. Colors: Blue.

15. Lakiska Sporting Club. LSC. Location: Lakiska, South Island, Busoga Islands. Colors: Red.

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16. Bwubanza City Soccer Club. BCSC. Location: Bwubanza, Bunyoro. Colors: Blue

17. The Lwanga Lions. LWG. Location: Lwanga, Buganda. Colors: Orange.

18. Tezirbu Foxes. TZF. Location: Tezirbu, North Island, Busoga. Color: Green.

19. Ogbordu Diamond Football Club. ODFC. Location: Hoima, Ankole. Colors: Orange.

20. Rukunbi Football Club. RFC. Location: Istria, Moravica. Located in Eastern Istria, the largest of the 5 districts of Istria with 38% of the city's population and generally considered to be culturally distinct from the rest of the city. Colors: Light Green & White. Just bought by the Cardenao Public Investment Fund.

21. Sororo City. SOR. Location: Sororo, Bunyoro. Colors: Blue.

22. Umbazi Metropolitan Sporting Club. Location: Umbazi, Buganda. Nickname: Flamingo. Deragotory Nickname: Flightless Birds

All-Banija Sports Magazine Projected Order of Finish

Lakiska SC
Hawabark Boulders
Herzegovina Phoenix
Rukunbi FC
Busembe Timberwolves
Igulu City FC
Lwanga Lions
Sororo City
Askatasuna FC
Bunyoro RSC
Umbazi Metropolitan SC
Duntho Sporting Club
Ogbordu Diamond
Dukuma SC
Amaku City FC
Isipongo Flash
Kabakono City
Barmos United
Bwubanza City SC
Mamari City
Jaribga Soccer Club
Tezirbu Foxes

Let's talk about the teams we expect to have a reasonable shot at promotion this year, why don't we?

First, we'll start with our projected champions, Lakiska SC. Is this the Busogan club's chance to get back into the Shango-Fogoa Premier League, the top flight for Banija & Farfadillis? This defensive-based team is seemingly built for the long slog of a league season. They've got a strong defense returning, one that only conceded 32 times last year. Of course, the question remains- do they have the firepower to win this league? They finished 3rd last season- but the other 5 teams in the top 6 scored 100+ times, compared to their 49. Farf fans in particular hate them for their classic defensive style, so they'll be hoping Lakiska SC can't score the goals required to move up in the world. But we think that defense will be strong enough to overcome any scoring issues- and move them to the top of the league.

Next, we'll talk about the ultimate yo-yo club- the Hawabark Boulders. The Buganda side is the only team with multiple post unification BSL titles, having three of them. Despite three promotions over the last decade, however, they have never found staying power in the S-FPL- each time going straight back down after they've gone up. And that's what happened in the most recent season. Season 9, they went up, and last year, they came straight back down. A team that does that so much has to be considered among the favorites to go back up, right? They've kept most of their squad, and have the S-FPL talent. Of course, this is a team that was not good enough to stay in the S-FPL, so how good are they really? We'll find out.

Next, we'll talk about the two Moravican clubs on here- the Herzegovina Phoenix and Rukunbi FC. The Phoenix surprised many by competing for a league title last year- they went all the way to the end of the line, taking Capitol City FC up until the final moments of the final matchday of the season, but Kawesa's side ultimately earned promotion. But that meant the Phoenix clearly have a formula that works. Can they make it work this year and get back to the top flight? Returning basically everybody, they've got a strong shot. Rukunbi FC are in a similar position. Big city team(Istria), trying to move up in the world, a strong and deep roster at their backs to try and do so. Is this the year?

With the Shango-Fogoa Cup not occurring this year, the executive board has authorized the RBSA and BISA to hold their own cup competitions, just like last season. And they are doing so. BISA will resurrect the Ebrahim Razav Cup. All 14 Busogan teams will take part in it. Lakiska SC and the Tezirbu Foxes will get byes from the first round- the Foxes for being the defending Busogan champions, and Lakiska SC for being the highest finishing Busogan team in the BSL. They will join the first round winners in the Quarterfinals. First round is just one game, at somebody's home field(picked randomly), played until there is a winner(via extra time and penalties, if necessary). Quarterfinals and semifinals are two-legged affairs, with the final taking place at Lakiska City Cricket Park(cap. 54,000). The winner of this competition will qualify for the Vilitan Cove International.

The RBSA will have a cup competition for the now 68 Banijan teams, called the RBSA Challenge Cup. It will have a first four- the bottom two teams from each of last season's four regional leagues. Those four winners will join the remaining 64 Banijan teams in the first round. All games will occur at home fields(chosen randomly, opponents chosen randomly as well). Each round will be one leg, and no replays- matches played until there is a winner, via extra time or penalties if necessary. The Final will be the only neutral site match, and that will take place at the national stadium- aka the Stadium of the Restoration(cap.91,835) in Busukuma.

Who's ready for some kickass soccer!

by **Busoga Islands** » Mon Apr 24, 2023 10:33 am

Ebrahim Razav Cup

Opening Round

Dukuma SC 1–1 Tripoli Foresters (3–1 AET)
Osmazar Wallabies 1–2 Beirutspor
Independence FK 0–1 Castra Bostra FK
Altica FC 0–1 Jaribga SC
Lakiska Kangaroos 0–1 Serizar FC
Kocakhan AFC 0–1 Nezrouch Rovers

Reminder that the away goals rule remains in place for all RBSA & BISA two-legged competitions

Quarterfinals

First Leg
Castra Bostra FK 0–0 Serizar FC
Dukuma SC 1–0 Tezirbu Foxes
Nezrouch Rovers 1–0 Jaribga SC
Beirutspor 2–3 Lakiska SC
Second Leg
Serizar FC 4–0 Castra Bostra FK (Serizar FC advance, 4-0 on aggregate, to the Ebrahim Razav Cup Semifinals)
Tezirbu Foxes 0–3 Dukuma SC (Dukuma SC advance, 4-0 on aggregate, to the Ebrahim Razav Cup Semifinals)
Jaribga SC 1–2 Nezrouch Rovers (Nezrouch Rovers advance, 3-1 on aggregate, to the Ebrahim Razav Cup Semifinals)
Lakiska SC 3–1 Beirutspor (Lakiska SC advance, 6-3 on aggregate, to the Ebrahim Razav Cup Semifinals)

The Quarterfinals of the Ebrahim Razav Cup! The entry of the Tezirbu Foxes into the competition. Most of the first legs were rather sleepy affairs- we had a 0-0 draw, as well as a couple of tight, 1-0 home victories. But it was Lakiska SC's trip to Beirutspor that really got people going- easily the match of the matchday. Lakiska SC is so dominant in the back, teams just rarely score on them at this point. But Beirutspor didn't get the script for that, clearly. They scored twice in the first half, responding to a first minute goal from Lakiska SC. But the Lakiska side came back with all sorts of strength. An Andrew Walsh equalizer in the 72nd minute, and a stunning winner from Akyol Aslan in the 79th minute gave Lakiska a shocking comeback win- one that should push them through to the SFs quite easily, right?

If the first legs were sleepy, the second legs were all spectacular. Goals galore. Serizar FC showed why they are considered so strong by so many, with a 4-0 home win against Castra Bostra, to clinch their own berth in the Cup semifinals. Nothing like a good ol' bicycle kick in the 23rd minute that started things off- yet, they scored all 4 by half. The Foxes, despite being the defending Busogan National League champs, copletely bombed out against Dukuma SC- with a hat trick from Schottian attacker Philena Neuheim, to give the visitors, and the cup holders, a crushing 3-0 victory. The Nezrouch Rovers were able to earn a 2-1 one road win, with a few counter-attacking goals to put the game to bed after an early Jaribga goal. And Lakiska SC held on against Beirutspor, scoring three more goals at home to advance to the semifinals.

Semifinals

First Leg
Lakiska SC 1–2 Dukuma SC
Nezrouch Rovers 1–2 Serizar FC
Second Leg
Dukuma SC 1–2 Lakiska SC (1-3 AET)  (Lakiska SC advance, 4-3 on aggregate, after extra time, to the Ebrahim Razav Cup Final)
Serizar FC 1–0 Nezrouch Rovers (Serizar FC advance, 3-1 on aggregate, to the Ebrahim Razav Cup Final)

The ultimate rivalry in the first round- Lakiska v. Dukuma. The history. The hatred. The stories. It was a spectacular first leg, but the away team would earn the victory. Neuheim scoring once, alongside the veteran Brenecian winger, Kate Stepford, Dukuma SC were able to earn a solid 2-1 away win, in a game where they thought they'd put one foot into the Final. Said Neuheim- "while Lakiska SC is all about the league, we just rack up trophies over here- they ain't good enough." Of course, Dukuma SC being the holders, and Lakiska SC having never won this competition, you see why she had those words. Meanwhile, Serizar FC earned a 2-1 away victory over the Rovers.

Serizar FC confirmed their talents, with an early header taking the air out of the second leg at home, for a 3-1 aggregate victory to reach the Final in Dukuma. But Lakiska v. Dukuma- a storied rivalry. Could Lakiska SC complete yet another comeback? A first half Neuheim goal put Dukuma SC up 3-1, and probably the second straight year Lakiska SC, easily the biggest team in Busoga, would be eliminated from this tournament before reaching the Final. But an attacking focused Lakiska SC came back, away from home. With a flair for the dramatic, a 62nd minute header from Zikoranaudodimma Obike made the score 3-2. And then, look for the captain's goal- an 89th minute volley by the armband wearer, Hakki Okur, to put them into extra time. The celebrations were insane- Okur leaping into the crowd, throwing his shirt, needing a few minutes to calm things down in Dukuma.

Level on away goals, level on aggregate- extra time demanded in Busoga's largest city. When Hapilopper international Parker Mathis was fouled inside the box, Dukuma SC conceded a penalty. They would ask the Qusmo national, Xilit-Rilan Ono, to step up and hit the biggest penalty of the season for Lakiska SC. Xilit-Rilan Ono hit the penalty, drilling it into the upper corner in the 103rd minute. They held on for the rest of the match, and Lakiska SC, in extra-dramatic fashion, punched their ticket to the Ebrahim Razav Cup Final.

Final
Played at the Dukuma Oval(cap. 63,000)

Lakiska SC 2–0 Serizar FC

Lakiska SC, in both their quarterfinal and semifinal, had a flair for the dramatic. A lot of up and down, open play. But that's not how they like to play. They are the best team on the Busoga Islands- they want to impose their will on a match. Make it tight, physical, and ride a spectacular defense to wins. They can control a game with or without the ball, and that's what they did in this Final. No need for the dramatic here. A 6th minute goal from the 18 year old loanee from Herzegovina City, Batte Sabiti, allowed them to take control early, and then simply ride their control throughout the rest of the game.

A Lakiska SC side that gets an early goal is almost an impossible team to defeat. They can suffocate you, taking the air out of the match, not allowing you any sort of space to do anything of relevance. Serizar FC, despite having 58% possesion, could only manage one shot on target, as Lakiska SC put on a defensive clinic. When Bekir Ecevit scored on a counter in the 52nd minute, it was as good as over. What a cup run it was- and Lakiska SC will surely enjoy this trophy. Can this spark a chase for a league-cup double, and earn promotion? We'll see- but on its own, a fantastic achivement for Lakiska SC to win this cup for the first time.

by **Banija** » Thu Apr 27, 2023 1:05 pm

RBSA Challenge Cup

Format is simple. There are 68 Banijan teams in the pyramid. 8 regional league sides will enter the play-in round(bottom two last season in each of the 4 regional leagues), and the 4 winners will join the other 60 teams in the pyramid in the first round, which is the Round of 64.

From there, it is straight elimination. Matches are played at home fields(except for the Final), and both opponents and venues are chosen randomly. There are no draws or replays- matches are played until there is a winner, either via extra time or penalties, if necessary.

Play-In Round

Kitara Athletic Society 1–1 Umbazi FA (2–1 AET)
Koksho City 1–2 Selekawe Knights
Ruhanga SC 1–0 AFC Akwadua
Dodoma City SC 0–0 Koszagard City (0–1 AET)

First Round
Aissa United 4–0 Abomfa United
Boufaya Ravens 0–1 Corizova United
Taramazna United 2–0 Koszagard City
Luguyala Patriots 0–1 Dimbogourou SC
Kwadama Dojo 1–2 Isipongo Flash
Lwanga Lions 1–0 Pagazi Triceratopses
Igulu City FC 2–1 Hoima Warriors
Busukuma Force 0–1 Pumbasa Boars
Eastern Moravica FC 0–3 Kitara AA
Sororo City 2–1 Mamari City
Selekawe Knights 1–3 Barmos United
Zakuta City 2–1 Thayaferu United
Busemlu Park SC 1–0 Umbazi Metropolitan SC
Jinja City FC 0–1 Garixas City
Baleweye FC 1–0 Bunyoro RSC
Duntho SC 2–4 Slobochia Bears
Suwawa FC 0–0 Busembe Timberwolves (0–1 AET)
Kitara Athletic Society 2–1 AFC Okahavi
Nanami Dragons 2–1 Djoro Athletic
Lake Wakiso FC 0–1 Gadive City
Gazaea Thunder 0–3 AFC Kosactus
Mynda Electra 3–1 Cerenus United
Amaku City FC 3–1 Istria City FC
Kigagana Mountaineers 0–0 Bwubanza City SC (0–0 AET) (6–7 pen.)
Kabakono City 1–0 Herzegovina Phoenix
Hawabark Boulders 0–0 Busukuma AC (0–0 AET) (3–1 pen.)
Ruhanga SC 0–1 Ogbordu Diamond
Kiruvya Bulls 2–2 New Olympus FC (2–3 AET)
Rukunbi FC 0–0 Capitol City FC (0–1 AET)
Okakameb City 1–1 Nsade United (1–1 AET) (5–3 pen.)
Byakado City 0–3 Mukegara Warriors
Herzegovina City 1–0 Askatasuna FC

Second Round
Baleweye FC 1–3 Herzegovina City
Lwanga Lions 0–0 New Olympus FC (2–0 AET)
AFC Kosactus 0–1 Isipongo Flash
Slobochia Bears 1–0 Zakuta City
Aissa United 2–1 Capitol City FC
Garixas City 0–0 Dimbogourou SC (1–0 AET)
Hawabark Boulders 0–0 Gadive City (1–0 AET)
Igulu City FC 0–1 Sororo City
Kitara Athletic Society 2–0 Amaku City FC
Pumbasa Boars 0–1 Busemlu Park SC
Busembe Timberwolves 0–1 Kitara AA
Bwubanza City SC 0–0 Kabakono City (2–0 AET)
Corizova United 1–0 Ogbordu Diamond
Okakameb City 0–1 Nanami Dragons
Taramazna United 0–0 Mynda Electra (1–0 AET)
Mukegara Warriors 1–1 Barmos United (1–1 AET) (3–5 pen.)

Round of 16
Lwanga Lions 1–2 Slobochia Bears
Hawabark Boulders 1–0 Sororo City
Kitara Athletic Society 2–0 Taramazna United
Kitara AA 3–1 Bwubanza City SC
Barmos United 1–0 Busemlu Park SC
Corizova United 0–1 Nanami Dragons
Aissa United 1–0 Isipongo Flash
Herzegovina City 3–1 Garixas City

Quarterfinals

Slobochia Bears 2–1 Herzegovina City
Kitara AA 3–0 Kitara Athletic Society
Nanami Dragons 0–3 Aissa United
Hawabark Boulders 1–0 Barmos United

Off to the quarterfinals! There's been all sorts of chaos in reach the last 8- the beauty of the cup. We've got a record four regional league sides among the last 8- Barmos United, Nanami Dragons, Kitara Athletic Society, and the Slobochia Bears. Unfortunately for them, none of them drew each other- which brought some heated fans onto twii.tur and other social media platforms, with people saying the that draw was 'rigged' to ensure television ratings & ticket sales in the eventual RBSA Challenge Cup Final. Three S-FPL teams, and one BSL team.

Herzegovina City FC, the Trumpeteers, the last truly big club in this tournament. Massive favorites, right? Should've been an easy trip to Slobochia to reach the next round. But the trip was a disastrous. Even while playing a first-choice XI, a rainy day was probably a bad sign, and the Bears were all over them. They blitzed The Trumpeteers- two goals in the opening 8 minutes, and then put so many behind the ball. Defending in crazy numbers, yielding 79% possesion for the game- and yet, Herzegovina City, a team with multiple players who featured in the most recent World Cup Final, could only score once- a Kuznetsov penalty.

Brutal. An easy way for a trophy for them, blown. Everyone else celebrates. The other two S-FPL teams on this day, while Slobochia celebrated into the night, cruised with ease against their regional league opponents. Kitara AA cruised at home, scoring 3 times in the opening 30 minutes and then turning on cruise control against a clearly overmatched Kitara Athletic Society, who were from two tiers down. Aissa United took some time to get going, but when Marius Haugum scored in the lone minute of first half stoppage time, they could not be stopped. Saako Ce and Kebba Taal both scored in the second half to put Aissa into the semis.

Lastly, we have everybody's favorite yo-yo club- the Hawabark Boulders. They held on for a tight, 1-0 win over Barmos United. They're one of the favorites to go back up- but wouldn't a cup victory do them wonders? Somehow Hawabark are one of three Banijan teams with an IFCF trophy, and if they added the Cup to their stores, it'd make them probably have the most interesting Banijan trophy cabinet outside of the Super 5.

Semifinals

Kitara AA 4–1 Slobochia Bears
Aissa United 1–0 Hawabark Boulders

At Keystone Stadium, Kitara AA once again hosted a regional league side. This is a team that made the journey to Busukuma for the Final last time, only to fall to the Hoima Warriors at the final hurdle. But they would punch their ticket again- cruising against a clearly overmatched Slobochia Bears side, who saw their magical run of cupsets end in the semis. They've done it all- beating all sorts of better teams to get here. It will be a magical cup run that they'll remember for a long time. But it would be the home fans who would be singing about the Stadium of the Restoration. Mahardika, from Pemecutan, scored the opener in the 20th minute, while Orji Uzoma scored in the 43rd minute to make it 2-0 at half. While the Bears pulled one back with a 53rd minute penalty, the home team would not be stopped- with Langlois-Zuluka scoring in the 65th, and Ozkaya Tarhan scoring the clincher in the 79th.

What a game, what a run. Kitara AA might truly be a cup club- a S-FPL title, a Champions League, and they want to add to that. And talking about great runs- let's look at Aissa United here! A relegation contender in the S-FPL, they've certainly had to battle to get here. Some may say they've had an easy road, not taking on any Super 5 clubs. But all those clubs fell- many to lesser teams. Aissa United has brought joy to their fans, as they're singing about Busukuma now- with Uli Esase's 33rd minute header being the difference to send them to the Cup Final.

RBSA Challenge Cup Final
Played at the Stadium of the Restoration(cap. 91,835) in Busukuma, National Capitol Region

Kitara AA 2–2 Aissa United (2–2 AET) (6–5 pen.)

There's nothing like a Cup Final that goes to penalties! So much excellence and pagaentry here, as a sold out Stadium of the Restoration welcomed Kitara AA for the second straight year, and Aissa United for the first time in forever. It would be Aissa United that would take an early lead in the Final here. Uli Esase converting an 11th minute penalty for the Hangaza capitol squad gave them a 1-0 lead, and he threw his shirt into the crowd. It was one of those rare moments in Banija where he got a yellow for throwing his shirt- he actually lost it in the crowd, having to grab a replacement jersey.

And when the 21 year old winger, Saako Ce, scored a volley of his own in the 42nd minute, Kitara AA thought that they'd have another dream run to Busukuma end in massive disappointment- they were down 2-0 at halftime. But Kitara AA have won big things. A long time ago, yes- but this is the only IFCF club that has won the Champions League, remember(even if it was 11 seasons ago). Are they a big club? That's a debate for another day, but they've certainly got that big club mentality. Saint Eleanor's Katie O'Donnell headed them back into the game, in the 66th minute, getting things going. And then, in the 82nd minute, Orji Uzoma scored to equalize.

2-2. Neither scored in extra time, so they went to penalties. They went beyond the minimum 5- it was 4-4 after 5. It was 5-5 after 6. Ubul Kuruc stepped up, as taker #7 for Kitara AA. He scored- making it 6-5. Then, Burama Kinteh, stood in between the sticks for Kitara AA. Esson Addo, a defender, stepped up for the 7th penalty for Aissa United. But the moment was too big for the young defender- the penalty was skied, soaring over the crossbar. Kitara AA would win the RBSA Challenge Cup, by triumphing in the shootout- IFCF football, here they come!

by **Banija** » Fri Apr 28, 2023 12:14 pm

Banijan College in the S-FPL Era- Year 11

College soccer in Banija is ran by the Banijan Collegiate Sports Group(BCSG), which runs all college sports in the country. College soccer is not officially part of the professional soccer pryamid for that reason- they are college athletes. Banija's 72 Division I schools(including Busoga's lone institution) are organized as follows, into eight conferences of 9 teams each. Historically, college soccer in Banija has mostly been a women's sport, while the academy side has been largely dominated by the men. WIth the sport integrated on gender in Banija now, there are no more women's or men's teams- just co-ed teams. However, due to the history and the culture, Banijan college rosters are about 80% female.

The format goes like this. There is a 16 game regular season- double round robin within your conference. Then, 16 teams advance to what is called the Round of Terror. There are 8 conference champions, plus a committee invites 8 more based off of the eye test(and whatever metrics they so choose). They are then divided into four groups of four. This group's draw only restriction is that each group must have exactly two conference champions, and two at-large invitees. They play a double round robin within their groups, with the group winners advancing to what's called the Final Four. The interesting twist here- there can be no ties for first place in these groups. If there is a two-way tie for first place, there must be an extra play-in game between the two teams for the right to reach the Final Four.

The Final Four takes place at a different, pre-determined neutral site every year. The group winners are seeded for the semifinals, which are one game, do or die- with the National Championship Game taking place 4 days later at the very same stadium.

Regular Season

Key
Conference champion, autobid to the Round of Terror
Wild Card bid to the Round of Terror

Final Regular Season Conference Standings

   Northern 9 Conference                               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Moravica A&M Centaurs                                16    8   4   4    19   16   +3    28
 2 Northern Moravica University Cougars                 16    8   1   7    18   15   +3    25
 3 Central Aksum Titans                                 16    6   6   4    11    8   +3    24
 4 Aksum State Stars                                    16    6   6   4    11   14   −3    24
 5 Moravica International Sea Dragons                   16    5   8   3     8    6   +2    23
 6 University of Aksum Silverbacks                      16    5   5   6    19   18   +1    20
 7 University of Bwaruya Penguins                       16    4   5   7    13   12   +1    17
 8 Igara University Ravens                              16    4   5   7    10   16   −6    17
 9 Zawadi University Anacondas                          16    4   4   8     8   12   −4    16

   Upper Coastal Conference                            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Loyola-Istria Blue Thunder                           16   12   3   1    27    8  +19    39
 2 Lake Wakiso State Lukwata                            16   10   3   3    19   10   +9    33
 3 Central Moravica Tech Springboks                     16    8   3   5    17   13   +4    27
 4 Moravica State Jackrabbits                           16    8   2   6    20   20    0    26
 5 Kabonero III University Hyenas                       16    6   4   6    15   14   +1    22
 6 Wild Valley University Golden Hornets                16    7   0   9    19   19    0    21
 7 Istria City College King Crabs                       16    5   3   8    18   17   +1    18
 8 Islamic University of Busoga Caracals                16    3   5   8    12   15   −3    14
 9 Budaka College for Literature and the Arts           16    1   1  14     7   38  −31     4

   Valley Interior Conference                          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Lake Alexandre State Vipers                          16    8   3   5    20   17   +3    27
 2 Loyola-Jinja Ostriches                               16    8   3   5    23   22   +1    27
 3 North Kitara Wild Dogs                               16    8   3   5    16   16    0    27
 4 West Bunyoro Tigersharks                             16    8   2   6    17   15   +2    26
 5 University of Hangaza Gazelle                        16    8   1   7    24   22   +2    25
 6 University of Moravica Golden Bears                  16    8   1   7    19   17   +2    25
 7 Western Hangaza Timberwolves                         16    6   5   5    19   15   +4    23
 8 Hangaza State White Tigers                           16    5   4   7    22   18   +4    19
 9 Arlenia College Leopards                             16    0   4  12     9   27  −18     4

   Southern Shango Conference                          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Thabiso University Giraffes                          16    8   4   4    21   16   +5    28
 2 University of Ankole Warriors                        16    8   3   5    16    9   +7    27
 3 Jawara Tech Cheetahs                                 16    7   3   6    19   13   +6    24
 4 Kizza I College Cubs                                 16    5   8   3    14   13   +1    23
 5 Bunyoro A&M Waterbucks                               16    6   3   7    17   19   −2    21
 6 Sankt Adelheid Sea Eagles                            16    5   6   5    11   13   −2    21
 7 Loyola-Busukuma Crusaders                            16    5   5   6    15   18   −3    20
 8 North Anknole Headhunting Sloughis                   16    4   6   6    14   11   +3    18
 9 Banijan Star and Crescent Cape Cobras                16    3   4   9    13   28  −15    13

   Kuanen River Conference                             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Lesedi University Rhinos                             16    8   6   2    13    9   +4    30
 2 Hangaza Tech River Rats                              16    8   5   3    18    9   +9    29
   North Hangaza University Bullfrogs                   16    8   5   3    18    9   +9    29
 4 Bunyoro State Zebras                                 16    7   3   6    17   13   +4    24
 5 University of Bunyoro Triceratopses                  16    6   5   5    19   18   +1    23
 6 Dodoma City College Warrior Toads                    16    6   3   7    20   19   +1    21
 7 Nsade State Fighting Hogs                            16    5   2   9    14   16   −2    17
 8 Albert II College Phoenix                            16    5   1  10    13   27  −14    16
 9 Hangaza A&M Bull Elephants                           16    3   2  11    10   22  −12    11

   Lower Coastal Conference                            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 University of Kitara Hippogriffs                     16   12   2   2    29   11  +18    38
 2 Kabakono University Night Owls                       16    8   6   2    16    9   +7    30
 3 Central Kitara Dingoes                               16    7   5   4    19   11   +8    26
 4 South Kitara Sea Lions                               16    6   3   7    22   22    0    21
 5 Air Force Pegasi                                     16    4   5   7    19   24   −5    17
 6 Army Raiders                                         16    4   5   7    12   17   −5    17
 7 Mamari University Sand Spiders                       16    4   5   7    15   21   −6    17
 8 Navy Seamen                                          16    3   7   6    17   22   −5    16
 9 Akwadua University Moon Rabbits                      16    4   2  10    11   23  −12    14

   Sun Valley Conference                               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Musulu College Black Herons                          16    8   3   5    18   14   +4    27
 2 Pumbasa University Pythons                           16    7   5   4    14   13   +1    26
 3 Zakuta State Crocodiles                              16    8   1   7    19   15   +4    25
 4 Ankole Tech Moose                                    16    7   3   6    24   18   +6    24
 5 Shidane University Sunbirds                          16    7   3   6    24   18   +6    24
 6 Heshima & Usian Guardian Angels                      16    7   2   7    16   17   −1    23
 7 University of Buganda Long-Tailed Lizards            16    6   3   7    25   21   +4    21
 8 Buganda State Green Mambas                           16    4   6   6     9   11   −2    18
 9 Ankole College for Creative Studies Butterflies      16    4   2  10     8   30  −22    14


   Banijan Athletic Conference                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Mercy University Bunyoro Rabbits                     16   10   2   4    24   16   +8    32
 2 Fort Lusiyo University Elks                          16    7   6   3    18   13   +5    27
 3 University of the Hills Highland Hares               16    8   2   6    15   13   +2    26
 4 Sarr University Wombats                              16    7   2   7    11   12   −1    23
 5 Ankole State Killer Whales                           16    6   4   6    22   15   +7    22
 6 Buganda Agricultural School Chimpanzees              16    5   4   7    18   20   −2    19
 7 Kitara Tech Buffalo                                  16    5   2   9    14   18   −4    17
 8 Eastern Hangaza Platypuses                           16    4   5   7    15   20   −5    17
 9 Tree of Life University Okapi                        16    4   5   7    12   22  −10    17

Round of Terror

Qualifiers

Conference Champions
Mercy University Bunyoro Rabbits- BAC champions
Musulu College Black Herons- SVC champions
University of Kitara Hippogriffs- LCC champions
Lesedi University Rhinos- KRC champions
Thabiso University Giraffes - SSC champions
Lake Alexandre State Vipers - Co-VIC champions
Loyola-Istria Blue Thunder- UCC champions
Moravica A&M Centaurs - Northern 9 champions

At-Large Invitees
Northern Moravica University Cougars
Loyola-Jinja Ostriches - Co-VIC champions. Auto-qual for the next round, but listed with the At-Large Invitees for Round of Terror group draw purposes only.
West Bunyoro Tigersharks
North Kitara Wild Dogs - Co-VIC champions. Auto-qual for the next round, but listed with the At-Large Invitees for Round of Terror group draw purposes only.
Kabakono University Night Owls
Hangaza Tech River Rats
North Hangaza University Bullfrogs
Lake Wakiso State Lukwata

Round of Terror Table
  Group A                                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 West Bunyoro Tigersharks                  6   4  1  1   12   3  +9   13 - Qualify for the National Semifinals
2 University of Kitara Hippogriffs          6   4  0  2    7   7   0   12
3 Moravica A&M Centaurs                     6   2  1  3    6   7  −1    7
4 North Kitara Wild Dogs                    6   1  0  5    2  10  −8    3

  Group B                                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Loyola-Jinja Ostriches                    6   4  1  1    6   1  +5   13 - Qualify for the National Semifinals
2 Lesedi University Rhinos                  6   2  2  2    3   4  −1    8
3 Mercy University Bunyoro Rabbits          6   2  1  3    5   6  −1    7
4 North Hangaza University Bullfrogs        6   1  2  3    2   5  −3    5

  Group C                                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Lake Wakiso State Lukwata                 6   5  0  1    9   3  +6   15 - Qualify for the National Semifinals
2 Thabiso University Giraffes               6   3  1  2    8   5  +3   10
3 Lake Alexandre State Vipers               6   2  1  3    5   8  −3    7
4 Kabakono University Night Owls            6   1  0  5    3   9  −6    3

  Group D                                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Loyola-Istria Blue Thunder                6   4  2  0   10   5  +5   14 - Qualify for the National Semifinals
2 Northern Moravica University Cougars      6   3  2  1    9   6  +3   11
3 Hangaza Tech River Rats                   6   1  1  4    4   6  −2    4
4 Musulu College Black Herons               6   1  1  4    4  10  −6    4

Final Four
Hosted at Keystone Stadium(cap. 47,000) in Sisonke, Kitara

Matchups
#1 Lake Wakiso State v. #4 Loyola-Jinja
#2 Loyola-Istria v. #3 West Bunyoro

Semifinal Scores
Loyola-Jinja Ostriches 0–0 Lake Wakiso State Lukwata (0–1 AET)
Loyola-Istria Blue Thunder 1–1 West Bunyoro Tigersharks (1–1 AET) (2–4 pen.)

National Championship Game
Lake Wakiso State Lukwata 0–0 West Bunyoro Tigersharks (1–0 AET)

by **Banija** » Mon May 01, 2023 11:04 am

Banijan Soccer League in the S-FPL Era- Year 11 Matchdays 1-41

   BSL                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Lakiska SC                  41   28   6   7    51   18  +33    90 - At worst, will finish in spot for BSL LBCT Qualification Playoff Berth
 2 Rukunbi FC                  41   28   5   8   103   49  +54    89 - At worst, will finish in spot for BSL LBCT Qualification Playoff Berth
 3 Hawabark Boulders           41   27   7   7    85   47  +38    88 - At worst, will finish in spot for BSL LBCT Qualification Playoff Berth
 4 Herzegovina Phoenix         41   26   9   6   103   46  +57    87 - At worst, will finish in spot for BSL LBCT Qualification Playoff Berth
 5 Bunyoro RSC                 41   20   7  14    78   79   −1    67
 6 Lwanga Lions                41   17  14  10    82   70  +12    65
 7 Busembe Timberwolves        41   17  13  11    82   62  +20    64
 8 Dukuma SC                   41   17  10  14    50   47   +3    61
 9 Askatasuna FC               41   16  11  14    89   64  +25    59
10 Isipongo Flash              41   16   9  16    77   73   +4    57
11 Mamari City                 41   14  14  13    55   62   −7    56
12 Amaku City SC               41   16   8  17    51   59   −8    56
13 Kabakono City               41   15   7  19    70   78   −8    52
14 Sororo City                 41   13  11  17    24   33   −9    50
15 Igulu City FC               41   12  11  18    68   82  −14    47
16 Ogbordu Diamond FC          41   13   7  21    30   57  −27    46
17 Duntho Sporting Club        41   11   9  21    57   72  −15    42 - Could potentially play in the BSL Qualifier against Busemlu Park SC
18 Bwubanza City SC            41   10  11  20    54   77  −23    41 - Could potentially play in the BSL Qualifier against Busemlu Park SC
19 Umbazi Metropolitan SC      41   10   9  22    55   73  −18    39 - Could potentially play in the BSL Qualifier against Busemlu Park SC
20 Tezirbu Foxes               41    9  10  22    44   77  −33    37 - Will play in the BSL Busogan Promotion Playoff against Independence FK
21 Jaribga Soccer Club         41    8   7  26    35   79  −44    31 - Relegated to the Busogan National League
22 Barmos United               41    7   7  27    40   79  −39    28 - Relegated to the Banijan Regional Leagues

With just one matchday remaining, we're in for an absolutely spectacular finish. Four teams remain in contention for the league title, and with it, the league's sole promotion slot to the Shango-Fogoa Premier League. Even beyond that, there are teams fighting for LCBT Qualification Playoff berths, and even at the bottom, a relegation battle- three Banijan teams in the running to compete in the Banijan relegation playoff.

Let's handicap the league title/promotion race, shall we?

Presently in pole position is Lakiska SC, the Busogan club trying to climb all the way back. This is a tough league to get back in to- there's a reason the Hawabark Boulders are the only team to be promoted multiple times(3 times, in fact). They've always been a defensive team- but this year, they've taken that to the max. Only conceding 18 times over 41 games, is truly insane. They had a 4-0 away loss at Phoenix Stadium earlier in the season. That was the only league match where they conceded more than once. 14 times, they conceded once. Once, they conceded four times. And that means, on 26 different occasions, they held a clean sheet- a Banijan record for most clean sheets in a season. One more (assuming they score themselves) should put them into the S-FPL- will they get that goal?

Next, we're gonna talk about the team from Banija's largest city- Rukunbi FC. Occupying the eastern district of Istria, Rukunbi FC has long had ambitions to reach the top flight- but they've never gotten there. But could this be the best shot yet for this veteran-laden team? Tyrone Barrett, the Hapilopper striker, is 36. And yet, they've got some young talent- Yelee Uster is just 18, and made a run with the U18 NT to third place at the most recent RTC U18 World Cup. They score goals in bunches- 103 of them, to be precise. They play a lower tier mid-table side in Igulu City FC on the final day of the season- the absolute scenes if Kajojo Muhumuza is able to earn promotion to the S-FPL and bring the Istria Derby back.

Third, we have the Hawabark Boulders. Freshly relegated. The ultimate yo-yo club. Whatever you call them, this is a club that, when they go down, seems to be never that far away from going straight back up. They are powered by the strike pair of Cardenao internationals, Theodore Ryūnosuke & Radoslav Jiménez, who want to take this squad straight back up. Now, they'll need help from elsewhere, but they've got the easiest matchup- a road match against the already relegated Jaribga Soccer Club. There's almost no chance they put up any sort of a fight. Can the Boulders get the help they need from others to get back to the primetime about as quickly as they left?

And lasty, we'll take a look at the Herzegovina Phoenix. The first ever team to earn promotion out of this league, they spent 4 seasons in the top flight before going back down. Since then, they've been plotting their resurrection. Last season, they were on the brink of going back up- but with a few minutes left in the season, they conceded at home to Capitol City FC, and it would be the Farf-supported capitol side that would find themselves as the third team from our nation's capitol in the Shango-Fogoa Premier League. The Phoenix have largely run it back, this veteran squad of players getting a last chance. They need the most help, of course, but they're in luck- they're visiting Lakiska SC. While they've got a ferocious defense, Hawabark did put four past them last time- have the Phoenix figured something out about breaking down that Busogan back line?

Final Day Matchups
12:30 PM
Bunyoro RSC v. Busembe Timberwolves
Kabakono City v. Amaku City SC
Barmos United v. Ogbordu Diamond FC
Lwanga Lions v. Mamari City
Isipongo Flash v. Sororo City
Dukuma SC v. Tezirbu Foxes

3:00 PM
Umbazi Metropolitan SC v. Duntho Sporting Club
Bwubanza City SC v. Askatasuna FC

5:30 PM
Rukunbi FC v. Igulu City FC
Lakiska SC v. Herzegovina Phoenix
Jaribga Soccer Club v. Hawabark Boulders

Per usual, they use a different system than the S-FPL, where all 10 matches on the final day happen at the same time. These things are staggered in Banija's second tier. You've got the early matches at Noon, that don't mean anything in regards to either the title race, or relegation down to regional leagues. In the 3:00 PM slot, we're gonna be focused on the relegation battle- particularly figuring out which Banijan team will play in the BSL Qualifer, against Busemlu Park SC. The Qualifier, of course, takes place between the second-worst Banijan team in the BSL, and the Promotion Playoff Final Loser in the third tier.

Umbazi Metropolitan SC, Bwubanza City SC, and Duntho Sporting Club could all playing in that BSL Qualifier- a match that, for obvious reasons, everybody's trying to avoid. For Umbazi Metropolitan SC in particular, a relegation would be completely disastrous. What a fascinating history this club has. They were a founding member of the Shango-Fogoa Premier League- one of the original 9 Banijan clubs (+1 Busogan) chosen to participate in the inauguaral season of the S-FPL. Unfortunately, they were relegated immediately, and it's just gotten worse from there. Now, 10 seasons later, they could become the first ever Banijan/Busogan team with S-FPL experience to drop to the third tier.

Of course, the seasons have not been great for Duntho Sporting Club and Bwubanza City SC either. But they do not have to suffer the indignity of being the first team to go from top to bottom of the pyramid during the S-FPL era. Duntho has a tough matchup however, paying a visit to Umbazi. Umbazi's lower in the table, but Duntho has been struggling as well. A point would be enough for them to avoid the Qualifier match, and get all talk of relegation out of their system. Could they do that? On the other hand, Bwubanza City is hosting an upper mid-table side, Askatasuna FC. We'll see.

It'll be a spectacular finish to the season- on both ends of the table. Come back here to your exclusive coverage of "The Final Day" with the All-Banijan Sports Magazine!

by **Banija** » Wed May 03, 2023 11:55 am

Banijan Soccer League in the S-FPL Era- Year 11: The Final Day

Matchday 42- 12:30 PM results

Bunyoro RSC 1–3 Busembe Timberwolves
Kabakono City 2–0 Amaku City SC
Barmos United 1–0 Ogbordu Diamond FC
Lwanga Lions 2–2 Mamari City
Isipongo Flash 0–1 Sororo City
Dukuma SC 3–0 Tezirbu Foxes

Matchday 42- 2:30 PM results

Umbazi Metropolitan SC 0–3 Duntho Sporting Club
Bwubanza City SC 0–7 Askatasuna FC

BSL                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Lakiska SC                  41   28   6   7    51   18  +33    90
 2 Rukunbi FC                  41   28   5   8   103   49  +54    89
 3 Hawabark Boulders           41   27   7   7    85   47  +38    88
 4 Herzegovina Phoenix         41   26   9   6   103   46  +57    87
 5 Busembe Timberwolves        42   18  13  11    85   63  +22    67
 6 Bunyoro RSC                 42   20   7  15    79   82   −3    67
 7 Lwanga Lions                42   17  15  10    84   72  +12    66
 8 Dukuma SC                   42   18  10  14    53   47   +6    64
 9 Askatasuna FC               42   17  11  14    96   64  +32    62
10 Isipongo Flash              42   16   9  17    77   74   +3    57
11 Mamari City                 42   14  15  13    57   64   −7    57
12 Amaku City SC               42   16   8  18    51   61  −10    56
13 Kabakono City               42   16   7  19    72   78   −6    55
14 Sororo City                 42   14  11  17    25   33   −8    53
15 Igulu City FC               41   12  11  18    68   82  −14    47
16 Ogbordu Diamond FC          42   13   7  22    30   58  −28    46
17 Duntho Sporting Club        42   12   9  21    60   72  −12    45
18 Bwubanza City SC            42   10  11  21    54   84  −30    41
19 Umbazi Metropolitan SC      42   10   9  23    55   76  −21    39 - Will play in BLS Qualifier against Busemlu Park SC
20 Tezirbu Foxes               42    9  10  23    44   80  −36    37 - Will play in BSL Busogan Promotion Playoff against Independence FK
21 Barmos United               42    8   7  27    41   79  −38    31 - Relegated to the Banijan Regional Leagues
22 Jaribga Soccer Club         41    8   7  26    35   79  −44    31 - Relegated to the Busogan National League

4:25 PM: And that's the final whistle in Duntho! And the final whistle is going to blow in Bwubanza as well. As always with teams that are trying to avoid relegation, it ended kind of ugly- or, specifically in this case, teams trying to avoid being the second-worst team in Banija, and play in that Qualifier.

4:52 PM: Let's take a look, firstly, at what was probably the game of the time slot- Umbazi Metropolitan SC hosting Duntho Sporting Club. Two teams in the relegation zone, and Umbazi was, realistically, looking for three points. A draw, no matter what the results were in Bwubanza, would not have been enough to get Umbazi out of 19th. They were the much better team for the opening 45 minutes. But, of course, this is a team who isn't quite good at this- if they were, they wouldn't be in this position. The key part was when, in the 41st minute, they earned a penalty because of a Duntho handball. And their Ko-orenite striker, Baste Pellenkoft, stepped up to take it- and skied it. Miles high, got everything wrong. Like so many times this season, it simply wasn't their day.

4:53 PM: Of course, in the second half, Umbazi Metropolitan SC made some attacking substitutions, and they really started getting forward. Flying forward, really- committing numbers, searching for that goal that would put them in safety. But Duntho Sporting Club sat back, bided their time, and went to counter-attack- and did so with ferocity. An interception in the center of the park in the 60th minute led to a counter-attack, which saw an unmarked Lamarr Watkins(the Cobrio international) finishing on the back end. A brilliant team goal- 1-0 to the visitors.

4:54 PM: And with that, Umbazi Metropolitan SC were really cut short. They continued to try and throw players forward- and again, they'd continue to be punished on the counter. The 36 year old Duntho SC #10, Jocki Sigtryggursson, would score in the 72nd minute to make it 2-0, and the Busogan striker off the bench, Alev Buruk, would remove all doubt in the 76th minute, when she headed home on a cross. 3-0 to Duntho SC- saving themselves from the specter of relegation, clinching safety.

4:55 PM: Duntho's win saved themselves from disaster, and ensured that they'd be playing in the Banijan Soccer League next season. But they did not only save themselves- they saved Bwubanza City as well. Bwubanza City were an abject disaster on this day- honestly, they might deserve to go down, but they can probably consider themselves lucky this year. A game where they needed at least a draw to clinch safety. Remember, those Duntho goals didn't come until after an hour had been played in both matches. If that Umbazi penalty had gone in... There's a very real chance that Bwubanza City would be playing in that BSL Qualifier match.

4:56 PM: Look, I know- they just came up from the regional leagues. Give them a break. But damn- this was disastrous. They've got an extremely young team(5 teenagers in the starting XI???) and it was clear- the lights were far too bright. One of their CBs, Kabonesa Lugoonya, got a red card for a clumsy challenge in the box in the 17th minute- yielding a penalty that would give Askatasuna FC their opening goal. Down one man, and already a worse team, Askatasuna FC just put them to the screws. It was still 1-0 in the 35th- and by halftime, it was 5-0. A collapse of epic proportions by Bwubanza. The Green & Whites ended up winning, 7-0- yet through no fault of their own, Bwubanza City have maintained their spot in this league for at least one more season.

5:30 PM Matchups
Rukunbi FC v. Igulu City FC
Lakiska SC v. Herzegovina Phoenix
Jaribga Soccer Club v. Hawabark Boulders

5:20 PM: So we know what's happening at the bottom of the table! Now, for what's happening at the top. Four teams in the title race, three matches played- all eyes on Lakiska SC hosting the Phoenix, for sure, but the Hawabark Boulders and Rukunbi FC both have intriguing matchups as well.

5:25 PM: Teams are entering the pitch, anthems being sung. Interesting scenes across the grounds. Obviously, all sorts of excitement in the Busogan capitol. And in Istria too- Rukunbi is decked out, as they chase promotion. That whole side of Istria- club colors everywhere. And then, of course, there's Jaribga. Completely taken over by Hawabark fans- maybe 70% of the ground is traveling fans? Considering they are already relegated, and Hawabark is chasing promotion, that isn't a huge surprise.

5:31 PM: And at all three grounds, they're off!

5:37 PM: No real chances in any of the matches so far, as there seem to be a lot of nerves. A lot of passing around the back- granted, we're only 6-7 minutes into these things. Plenty of time for something fascinating to happen.

5:42 PM: Oh, there's the first chance of the game! That one is for the Hawabark Boulders to try and move up the table- Radoslav Jiménez had an opportunity to rip one from distance, at the 18, and it was bending wickedly & wildly, as a scrambling Jaribga goalkeeper could not get a hand to it. He was forrtunate, however- the ball was too high, going just inches above the crossbar for a goal kick.

5:45 PM: Jaribga, of course, has already clinched relegtion. And they're singing about it on the Busoga Islands- it'll be their last game in Banija's second tier, at least for a season. "You know we'll be back. You'll know we'll be BAAACCCCKKK." Of course, they're being drowned out by the away supporters, who have mostly taken over their ground.

5:49 PM: 19 minutes in, and the Herzegovina Phoenix have launched an attack! Laula Gardener plays a long ball to Ardent Blaze, of Freeport, who is suddenly flying up the pitch. Lakiska has made a rare mistake defensively- committing too many players forward- and now they might pay for it in the back! IT's a 3 on 2. Ardent Blaze hits a ball across to Cyprus Oludhe, who lays it off for an open Alexandra Owiti.. WHO SMASHES IT INTO THE BACK OF THE NET! It's always the Phoenix, isn't it?? She has scored the goal that, at least as of right now, has sent the Herzegovina Phoenix from fourth to first! The top of the table! And the away fans are celebrating like it- the away section is in raptures, as they're singing Owiti's praises. This is just the 16th match all season where Lakiska has conceded- out of 42 league matches. Incredible.

5:51 PM: These affairs have been sleepy, but Lakiska SC entered the day on top of the table. But the news of Owiti's goal has filtered to the other grounds- cheers from Rukunbi fans and Hawabark fans at those grounds. You can see as the news reaches the players as well- a Boulders central midfielder takes an ill-advised that ends up nowhere near the goal.

5:56 PM: 25 minutes in, and so far we've just got Alexandra Owiti's goal, in Lakiska, that is the major difference on the day. They've done- oh wait, look at Rukunbi FC go! THey are passing the ball around the opposition box- and Yelee Uster has lofted one in, behind the defense, and Tyrone Barrett is going to volley it, straight in front of the net. Andd... HE HAS DONE IT! THE HAPILOPPER NATIONAL HAS SCORED! What a strike! A volley from the 18 year old to the 36 year old, and suddenly, it's Rukunbi FC who have moved to the top of the table! 1-0 in Istria to Rukunbi FC, as the Istria side are in raptures. It's just the first half- but they've moved ot the top of the table! That live table is moving around.

6:01 PM: Oh, my there's a penalty awarded in the Busogan capitol! It's 1-0 to the Phoenix, but half an hour in, Lakiska SC have a golden opportunity to equalize. They started the day at the top of the table, remember- then the Phoenix moved there, and now Rukunbi sit top, with 92 point in the live table. Who's stepping up for the Busogans? The captain, the maestro, the CM- none other than Hakki Okur. Okur steps up to take the penalty... AND IT'S SAVED! Phoenix Goalkeeper Sabiti Byalugonjo, who is just 22 years old, has made the save of his life- diving left and keeping the ball out of the back of the net! Still 1-0 to Herzegovina.

6:07 PM: Oh, wow, is that an equalizer I see at Eastern Stadium in Istria?? Yes it is! Igulu City FC have shocked the world by finding an equalizer, and making it 1-1! The visiting fans are ecstatic- they are bellowing "BSL CHAMPIONS- YOU'LL EVER SING THAT" at the home fans. It's the 38 year old striker, Rebecca Camara, who has scored for Igulu City- hitting it straight out of the air. It might be her swan song- what a legacy the Camaras have. Her father is the manager, her son is the keeper. Three generations of Camara on one team- is that enough to keep Rukunbi FC from the title? With that, Rukunbi move behind the Phoenix, and they regain top of the table status.

6:14 PM: AND IT"S A WONDERSTRIKE IN JARIBGA! The visitors have that top-level talent, and it was the other Cardenao international, Theodore Ryūnosuke, who drilled a bicycle kick in the 44th minute to move the Boulders ahead! They are the fourth team today to move to the top of the table- now having 91 points in the live standings. An insane goal- but the ultimate one for the ultimate yo-yo club. Will that be enough to send them to the top of the table?

6:20 PM: All the games are at halftime. Remember, they'll all kick off at the same time again to start half two(selling their souls out to TV smh)- so some halftimes will be slightly longer than others. But wow, what an entertaining. Just 45 minutes- four different teams, at different times, have been top of the table today. And with 45 minutes remaining, it's Hawabark who sit in first place.

HALFTIME SCORES
Jaribga Soccer Club 0–1 Hawabark Boulders
Lakiska SC 0–1 Herzegovina Phoenix
Rukunbi FC 1–1 Igulu City FC

LIVE TABLE
BSL                             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Hawabark Boulders           41.5   28   7   7    86   47  +39    91
 2 Herzegovina Phoenix         41.5   27   9   6   104   46  +57    90
 3 Rukunbi FC                  41.5   28   6   8   104   50  +54    90
 4 Lakiska SC                  41.5   28   6   8    51   19  +32    90

6:25 PM: I don't know I've ever seen such a tight league finish. Four teams in the running on the Final Day- all four, at one point or another, have been on top of the live table. There's sure to be more changes throughout the rest of the day- but if the scores hold for the next 45 in all places, the Hawabark Boulders will find themselves champions of this league for a shocking fourth time- earning yet another promotion to the S-FPL. Surely Jaribga won't stop them- but will goals elsewhere derail their ambitions?

6:37 PM: And everybody's off! All four second halves kick off simultenousely- the intensity is through the roof. Everyone's doing everything they can to try and win the title!

6:43 PM: Oh holy sh*$!, is that a goal in Jaribga?? Yes it is! But that's not for the Boulders- it's for the already relegated Jaribga Soccer Club! The Boulders look stunned- they just conceded to the second worst team in the league, in a game that is a quasi-home game for them! The worst part? It's a goal that was absolutely gifted to Jaribga. Chi-Chi Okorie, their left back, simply played one of the worst passes you'll ever see at this level- a howler. A mishit kick, straight to Jaribga's striker. Jaribga might be really bad at this whole scoring goals thing, with just 35 on the season, but at this level, you're always scoring a 2 on goalie. Tanman Gundogan collected the ball, the keeper came out, he passed it to Immanuel Okelo, who passed the ball into the back of an empty net. The "home" fans celebrated- 51 minutes in, the game is at 1-1.

6:47 PM: The Boulders are stunned. They make an attacking substitution, putting in Akia Luzige at the left wing spot. But can she make the difference? They'll have plenty of time to score- we're only 55 minutes into this game. 35 minutes and stoppage.

6:52 PM: Oh shit, is that all that she wrote in the Busogan capitol?? It's a second goal for the Phoenix, and the Busogan fans are shell-shocked. Just the 2nd time they've conceded multiple goals all season- and both of those games have been against the Herzegovina Phoenix, who have managed to score 30% of the league goals against Lakiska that have been scored all season. It was a simple cross, with the Siovanijan midfielder Slavomir Malik there on the end of it to head home. 2-0 at the one hour mark, against a Lakiska team that has struggled to score. Record-setting defensive pace, but with only 51 goals scored- which is tied for the 6th fewest in the league. A shocking number for a team that came in today, at the top of the table.

7:00 PM: Oh, my that's another goal for Rukunbi! Once again, they've flown ahead to the top of the table. This time it would be the 29 year old striker, Jamuike Belonwu, who would finish at exactly the 7 PM mark for the Hawabark Boulders. The team just seemingly throwing players forward in waves, saw a botched clearance land straight at the feet of Belonwu, who fired on goal- and somehow found the back of the net! Not the greatest goal, but the sweetest- that might be the goal that wins the league for Rukunbi! Wild celebrations as eastern Istria remains in raptures!

7:07 PM: Oh my, what the hell is going on in Jaribga?? Is that a counter-attacking goal? Hawabark continues to throw players forward, trying to get that equalizing goal, and then hoping that Igulu can find something in eastern Istria. But they've given up the lead- and are down to ten men! A corner kick was cleared, and saw Jaribga Soccer Club racing ahead, trying to get a goal, take the lead maybe for the final time before relegation. A tackle from behind came way late- a clear goalscoring opportunity. Penalty to Jaribga. Red card given to the Hawabark defender. Jaribga was ready for that moment, with Ramiah Otongo scoring the penalty. 1-0.

7:12 PM: We're 80 minutes into these matches now. Rukunbi FC are at the top of the table- is this thing settled? There's still plenty of time to change things, but who's going to catch Rukunbi? We wouldn't put our money on Lakiska scoring a trio of goals to win this, right? Unless Igulu City equalize...

7:14 PM: And just like that, an Igulu City Free kick clangs off the post! The keeper knew nothing of it- it was a wicked shot. bending up, over, and around the wall, so much so that the keeper couldn't even dive- he was simply frozen to a spot, watching helplessly as it looked like Igulu CIty's shot would go into the back of the net. But sometimes, to win a league title, you need a little luck on your side- and Rukunbi had some right ball. Ball hit the front of the post, and it was cleared out harmlessly for a throw. 82 minutes.

7:18 PM: And that's a third goal for Jaribga SC! 86 minutes in- Jaribga SC has basically ended Hawabark's chances of winning this league! A shocking loss for a Boulders club who have been so consistent when they are down at this level. You can't control what you can't control elsewhere, of course- but Jaribga has scored another counter-attacking goal. Conceding three goals in a must-win game to win the league, against a team that's already been relegated, is just brutal. Straight up brutal.

7:21 PM: Rukunbi's gonna win this thing! The Farf left back, Arsenio Pradas, heads in a corner here in the 89th minute to make it 3-1, and considering where things are at the other grounds, that's probably all she wrote on this title race! The party's getting started in Rukunbi- they can feel it. Everyone seems resigned to it, you've got a whole section of Istria that's gonna be unpassable, at least for a few days...

7:25 PM: The final whistle's gone in Jaribga, where they have defeated the Boulders, 3-1. It's also gone in Lakiska- where the Phoenix came to their house and won, 2-0. Just the final whistle to confirm things..

7:27 PM: AND THERE IT GOES! Rukunbi Football Club- champions of the Banijan Soccer League! And for the first time in the S-FPL era, they have earned promotion to the Shango-Fogoa Premier League! What a run, what a season! This second Istria club will join the big boys- while the others will shed their tears, and try to figure out what the hell happened on this insane Final Day.

FULL TIME SCORES

Jaribga Soccer Club 3–1 Hawabark Boulders
Lakiska SC 0–2 Herzegovina Phoenix
Rukunbi FC 3–1 Igulu City FC

Final Table

 Banijan Soccer League
 1 Rukunbi FC                  42   29   5   8   106   50  +56    92 - League champions, promoted to the BSL, Qualify for the Liga B Champions Trophy
 2 Herzegovina Phoenix         42   27   9   6   105   46  +59    90 - Qualify for the Liga B Champions Trophy
 3 Lakiska SC                  42   28   6   8    51   20  +31    90 - Qualify for LBCT Promotion Playoff
 4 Hawabark Boulders           42   27   7   8    86   49  +37    88 - Qualify for LBCT Promotion Playoff
 5 Busembe Timberwolves        42   18  13  11    85   63  +22    67 - Qualify for LBCT Promotion Playoff
 6 Bunyoro RSC                 42   20   7  15    79   82   −3    67 - Qualify for LBCT Promotion Playoff
 7 Lwanga Lions                42   17  15  10    84   72  +12    66
 8 Dukuma SC                   42   18  10  14    53   47   +6    64
 9 Askatasuna FC               42   17  11  14    96   64  +32    62
10 Isipongo Flash              42   16   9  17    77   74   +3    57
11 Mamari City                 42   14  15  13    57   64   −7    57
12 Amaku City SC               42   16   8  18    51   61  −10    56
13 Kabakono City               42   16   7  19    72   78   −6    55
14 Sororo City                 42   14  11  17    25   33   −8    53
15 Igulu City FC               42   12  11  19    69   85  −16    47
16 Ogbordu Diamond FC          42   13   7  22    30   58  −28    46
17 Duntho Sporting Club        42   12   9  21    60   72  −12    45
18 Bwubanza City SC            42   10  11  21    54   84  −30    41
19 Umbazi Metropolitan SC      42   10   9  23    55   76  −21    39 - Will play in BLS Qualifier against Busemlu Park SC
20 Tezirbu Foxes               42    9  10  23    44   80  −36    37 - Will play in BSL Busogan Promotion Playoff against Independence FK
21 Jaribga Soccer Club         42    9   7  26    38   80  −42    34 - Relegated to the Busogan National League
22 Barmos United               42    8   7  27    41   79  −38    31 - Relegated to the Banijan Regional Leagues

LBCT Qualification Playoff
Semifinals
Played at the home stadium of the team who finished higher in the league table

Lakiska SC 1–0 Bunyoro RSC
Hawabark Boulders 3–5 Busembe Timberwolves

Lakiska SC had a hugely disappointing final day- they went into the Final day at the top of the table, and came out of it not only losing 2-0, but falling from first place to third place, from league champions and promotion to the LBCT Qualification Playoff. For many clubs, that could've been a killer. "Motivation could've lacked, there could have been a mood of depression around the place." Said their manager. "But we're not going to think about what might have been- we're going to think of the possibilities. The chance to play in an IFCF tournament is high, and we absolutely want to take full advantage." In classic fashion, they earned their 28th clean sheet of the season in all competitions(26 in the league, 1 in the Ebrahim Razav Cup Final, and this one), with their midfield and defense simply dominating the game. It's nearly impossible to comeback against these guys- so Batte Sabiti, the Herzegovina City loanee, heading home a header from Xilit-Rilan Ono in the 37th minute, was enough for the Busogans to get a 1-0 win and reach the Playoff Final.

High stakes, of course, to reach these IFCF tournaments. The Hawabark Boulders would host the Busembe Timberwolves- owned, of course, by Espy va Drake, the former Valanora international. The first half was nothing short of spectacular- 6 goals between the two teams saw the two teams level at 3-3 after just 45 minutes, as both defenses seemingly took the day off in favor of high-octane goal scoring. The Busembe Timberwolves have always been about that, fitting in well with their Farf counterparts- well, if you don't include the fact that they, of course, got relegated two years ago, and were 25+ points off the pace to get promoted back. Luzige Musujja scored twice, and Ernie Mabree scored once in the first half for the visiting Timberwolves. Meanwhile, for the host Hawabark team, we'd have Theodore Ryūnosuke, Radoslav Jiménez, and Sadiki Nkanga each scoring for the hosts.

The second half were obviously going to see some changes- nobody ever wanted to concede three times in a half- it'd make any manager go ballistic. There certainly wasn't going to be 6 more- but there'd probably be at least one more. But who would score the remaining goals? Those, in perhaps surprising fashion, would go to the visitors. Darin Nicolas, the right back for Busembe, the team's Chromatik captain, scored the match-winning goal, hitting in an Sadiki Nkanga cross in the 72nd minute. Just a few minutes later, Jeff Finte would come off the bench for Busembe to seal the deal, scoring with a beautiful chip off the counter in the 82nd minute.

Final
Played at the Stadium of the Restoration(cap. 91,835) in Busukuma, National Capitol Region

Lakiska SC 1–0 Busembe Timberwolves

The Timberwolves scored 5 goals just 5 days prior to this Final, and as both sets of fans packed the national stadium, they were talking a big game that they'd score more. "Man Lakiska- their defense ain't that good. A lot of luck." Said 24 year old central midfielder, Oliver Touray. "We've got a path to scoring on them- we're getting to IFCF competition if it kills us, and then next season, we're going back to the damn S-FPL."

Who knows what next season holds? But for this matchday, Lakiska SC held their record-setting 29th clean sheet in all competitions this season- far and away a Banijan/Busogan/RBSA record, at any level- a record that's likely to last for quite a long time, considering how the game in Banija is moving towards more and more fluid attacking. That kind of defensive ability pretty much deserves to be rewarded with a win in a Final, and the Roos are going to get that win. Once again, it would be a lone, first half goal that would be the difference in this matchup. Zikoranaudodimma Obike headed home in the 22nd minute, and when Lakiska SC takes a lead, against anybody- they can really just suffocate the game.

There's a reason they have 29 clean sheets on the year in all competition, right? A celebration of their defensive tenacity. 26 clean sheets in the league. Both games in the LBCT Qualification Playoff- clean sheets, one at home, one at a neutral site. A clean sheet in the Ebrahim Razav Cup Final. They can defend with the best of them, and while it wasn't quite enough to win the league, they'll at least have a domestic cup trophy(Busogan-specific, of course), alongside the third and final Banijan spot in the Liga B Champions Trophy. The expecations will be high next year- can they meet them?

Busogan Promotion Playoff

Independence FK 0–1 Tezirbu Foxes (The Tezirbu Foxes will RETAIN their spot in the Banijan Soccer League)

Staying on the Busoga Islands, for the Busogan Promotion Playoff- the Foxes, who finished in the bottom 5 of the league, will take on Independence FK, who finished second in the Busogan National League. But last year, both Busogan BSL teams won their road games in the Promotion Playoff to maintain their spot in the BSL. And this year, the Foxes looked to follow in their example- successfully. Ishak Arslan Age, the #10 for Tezirbu, hit a penalty in the 64th minute, and that was enough for them to earn the 1-0 win away from home. These aren't the greatest matches, after a rough, long, season, to keep your spot in tier 2- but at least the Foxes are not being relegated down to the regional leagues.

BSL Qualifier

Busemlu Park SC 0–0 Umbazi Metropolitan SC (0–0 AET) (7–6 pen.)

And now, on the Banijan side. We're going to skip straight to the penalty shootout- it was 0-0 after 45, 0-0 after 90, and 0-0 after 120. A miserable match to watch, in earnest. But Busemlu Park SC had a shootout, at home, where they had a legitimate chance to win it. The penalty taking from each team was exquisite. Each team hit their first 6 penalties of the match, with each taker on each side simply stepping up calmly, and burying their penalty. But when Adama Sowe III skied the seventh penalty for Umbazi Metropolitan SC, Busemlu Park SC knew that it was their chance to earn promotion- and they did. With style, as well- nailing a Panenka straight down the middle.

Umbazi, a founding member of the S-FPL, is now way down in the third tier, while Busemlu Park SC are now promoted to the second tier. Brutal for Umbazi- they were an original remember of the Shango-Fogoa Premier League. Now, they are the first ever S-FPL team to be relegated down to the Banijan third tier- a rough title to take a hold of. Things used to be so much better for them- but you can no longer describe them as anything but a tragedy. It is dark days to be a fan of this team.

And with that, that is the conclusion of Banija's & Busoga's lower tiers!

All-Banija Sports Magazine

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