All-Banija Sports Magazine

by **Banija** » Sun Mar 27, 2016 11:34 am

National Teams Trophy Cabinet

Championships
Soccer
World Cup 86
World Cup 93
AOCAF LXIV
AOCAF LXVII
Cocoa-bo Challenge Trophy @ Eagle's Cup VIII
Eagle's Cup VIII
Cup of Champions at Eagle's Cup IX
Sporting World Cup 8 (U18)
Di Bradini Cup 47 (U21)
Mihaly Invitational
Afro-Carribean Heritage Festival

Baseball
World Baseball Classic 47
World Baseball Classic 51
World Baseball Classic 56
AO Baseball Series II
Londinium Challenge Invitational I
Londinium Challenge Invitational IV
Gold Medal at XV Olympiad (Men)

Basketball
IBC 30
IBC 31
IBC 32
IBC 33
AOBC VI
AOBC VIII
AOBC IX

Gridiron
World Bowl XLIV
World Bowl XLV
AO Bowl IV

Lacrosse
WLC 41
Moravica Lacrosse Invitiational/AOLC I
AOLC IV
1st Champions Challenge Cup

Other
AOlympic Team Festival (12 golds, 4 silvers, 5 bronzes)

Second Place Finishes
Soccer
World Cup 92
AOCAF LVIII
AOCAF LXVIII
Eagle's Cup IX
Friendship Cup

Gridiron
World Bowl XL
AO Bowl VI

Basketball
IBC 29
XIV Summer Olympiad(Men's)

Baseball
WBC 54
AO Baseball Series I

Lacrosse
WLC 21
WLC 34
WLC 38
WLC 39
WLC 40
AOLC II
AOLC V

Other
4th Water Polo International Championships
5th Water Polo International Championships
8th Quidditch World Cup
47th World Cup of Hockey

Third Place Finishes
Soccer
World Cup 83
World Cup 85
World Cup 90
AOCAF LXII
DBC 42 (U21)
1st Baker Park Open Cup
Afro-Carribean Heritage Festival II

Gridiron
World Bowl 36
XVI Summer Olympiad (Men's; Demonstration)

Basketball
Bronze Medal at XVI Summer Olympiad (Men's)
IBC 27

Lacrosse
WLC 22
WLC 25
WLC 31
WLC 36
WLC 37

Baseball
World Baseball Classic 46
XI Summer Olympiad (Men's; Demonstration)

Other
Handball World Cup 20

International Individual Team titles

Championships
Soccer
6th IFCF Champions League- Kitara AA
6th IFCF Super Cup- Kitara AA
Tropicorp Super Cup(aligned with Season 6 of the IFCF)- Kitara AA
4th IFCF Liga B Champions Trophy- Kabakono City
6th IFCF Liga B Champions Trophy- Hawabark Boulders
AOCL XXXV- Istria City FC
AOCL XLI- Herzegovina City FC

Gridiron
NSCF 14- University of Loyola-Istria
NSCF 17- University of Loyola-Istria
NSCF 19- Northern Moravica University
NSCF 21- University of Loyola-Istria
Champions Bowl 5- Istria Black Mambas
Champions Bowl 6- Herzegovina City Cobras

Lacrosse
IDLO Champions Cup 1- Bunyoro RSC
IDLO Challenger's Cup 1- Bunyoro RSC
IDLO Champions Cup 3- Bunyoro RSC

Second Place Finishes
Soccer
7th IFCF Challenger's Cup- Herzegovina City FC
AOCL XXXII- Herzegovina City FC
AOCL XLIII- Herzegovina City FC

Lacrosse
IDLO Ultimate Cup 2- Busukuma Flyers
IDLO Champions Cup 1- Herzegovina City Kings
IDLO Champions Cup 2- Bunyoro RSC
IDLO Champions Cup 4- Bunyoro RSC
IDLO Champions Cup 6- Bunyoro RSC

Basketball
NSCAA 10- University of Moravica
NSCAA 11- University of Moravica

Gridiron
NSCF 18- University of Loyola-Istria
NSCF 20- Northern Moravica University
NSCF 23- Northern Moravica University
NSCF 25- Northern Moravica University

by **Banija** » Sun Mar 27, 2016 12:11 pm

The Premier Soccer League

The Royal Banijan Soccer Association is proud to present the Premier Soccer League to the sporting world. This is the top division of soccer in Banija, competing with gridiron football to be the nation's most popular sport. The Premier Soccer League consists of 16 teams, who compete in two competitions. They compete in the Premier Soccer League, which is a double round-robin competition. The other major competition that PSL teams compete in is the RBSA Cup, which is a single-elimination knockout tournament.

Currently there is no system of promotion/relegation, as this is the only league that is truly nationwide. The format followed for league play is a double round-robin. The format followed for the RBSA Cup is each round(round of 16, 8, and 4) all being two legged affairs(away goals rule as the 1st tiebreaker), with a random draw of who is at home first. The final is one match located at the Stadium of the Restoration in the national capitol of Busukuma. Breaks are given midseason to allow for the play of the RBSA Cup, and the RBSA Cup final is always held one week after the Final Day at the Stadium of the Restoration in Istria. To start the beginning of a new season, a kickoff match is played between the RBSA Cup winners and the PSL winner(or, if they are the same, the 2nd place team of the PSL) for the Kabaka's Cup, which is the Banijan Supercup and the match is always attended by the reigning Kabaka, who personally awards the trophy to the winning team.

Teams in the BSL- Underlined players are Banijan internationals. Nationality is listed if they are not Banijan.
1. Herzegovina City Football Club. HZCFC. Location(city, region): Herzegovina City, Moravica. Colors: Blue & Gold.

2. Jinja City Football Club. JCFC. Location: Jinja City, Hangaza. Colors: Green & White.

3. Busukuma Athletic Club. BAC. Location: Busukuma, National Capitol Region. Colors: Red & White.

4. Hoima Warriors. HOI. Location: Hoima, Ankole. Colors: Red & Silver.

5. Mynda Soccer Club. MSC. Location: Mynda, Aksum. Colors: Forest Green.

6. Umbazi Metropolitan Sporting Club. UMSC. VFC. Location: Umbazi, Buganda. Colors: Pink.

.

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

8. The Lwanga Lions. LLSC. Location: Lwanga, Buganda. Colors: Orange.

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

10. Kitara Athletic Association. KAA. Location: Sisonke, Kitara. Colors: Blue & white.

11. Istria City Football Club. RFC. Location: Downtown Istria, Moravica. (Neighborhood in the center of Istria in the National Capitol Region). Colors: Orange & Black.

12. Aissa United Football Club. AUFC. Location: Aissa, Hangaza. Colors: Blue & white.

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

14. Dukuma Sporting Club. DSC. Location: Dukuma, Busoga. Colors: Purple & white.

15. Rukunbi Football Club. RFC. Location: Istria, Moravica. Located in Western 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.

16. Lakiska Sporting Club. LSC. Location: Lakiska, Busoga. Colors: Red & black.

National Stadium
The Stadium of the Restoration

The National Stadium for a King's Cup final. Location: Busukuma. Capacity: 69,000.

Major ivalries
Istria City Derby between Istria City FC and Rukunbi FC as they are both located on opposite sides of Banija's largest city.
Battle for Hangaza's Soul between Jinja City FC and Aissa United Football Club.
Battle of the Princes between Isipongo Flash & the Lwanga Lions(as both teams are in cities named after former Princes of the Royal Family). ]

A 'final day' format is there for the last week of the regular season, with all games kicking off at the same time.

by **Banija** » Sun Mar 27, 2016 3:28 pm

First 10 matchdays of the Premier Soccer League see Istria City FC 6 points clear as the league's last unbeaten side

Banijan international Matthias Muhumuza celebrates his second goal in 2-0 derby victory over archrival Rukunbi FC

ISTRIA- Banijan international and Istria City captain Matthias Muhumuza really hit the international stage during the last World Cup Qualifiers. The leading goalscorer for the national side, Matthias Muhumuza was expected to take a leading role for Istria City, his club side back home, when the PSL season started for Banija. Muhumuza was elected the team captain when he got back from the 66th Cup of Harmony, and he had a special motivation going into this season. A lot of the internationals, after losing their last CoH game 5-0, came back with a hunger, but none much more than Muhumuza. Muhumuza, the player who seems to always be on the field, was taken off of the field when the score was 3-0, and after an uncharacteristic yellow card.

Muhumuza has come back to Banija and has not only been in form, but has been on fire. Istria City FC has raced off to a fast start in the first third of the season, picking up 28 points out of a possible 30 to start the year. They won a whopping 8 games in a row to jump out to a big lead in the PSL standings, before their winning streak finally ended when in week 9 Hudian national Abdul Habhab scored 3 minutes into stoppage time in the second half to deny Istria City their 9th victory in a row. They clearly regrouped however, when they put up 4 first half goals against the Lwanga Lions here in week 10 en route to a 4-2 victory.

While Istria City were considered one of the early favorites to win the PSL, nobody thought that they could possibly have this could of a start. Getting 6 points clear, even at this early stage in the season, is a good gap for the side. While nothing is won just 10 weeks into the season, it is clear that the early team to beat are the men in orange. Matthias Muhumuza is leading a confident bunch, a team that will score and score quickly, as well as play capable defense. Even though their back line is very young, with their center backs being 21 & 22 years of age respectively, this team has a good combination of youth & experience at key positions that has allowed them to achieve this position, and puts them in a place to continue this early success.

For the first time, if everything goes correctly, the Royal Banijan Soccer Association is expected to put their best clubs in international competition. The UICA is the governing body for the most prestigious international club competitions, and Banija expects to send their champion to the Champions Cup, as well as send 3 more teams to the Globe Cup, and the RBSA Cup Winner to the Cup Winners Cup. This makes finishing high in the standings that much more of a priority, as international competition for Banijan clubs will be part of the major reform effort by Association head, Omulangira Thembo of Herzegovina, to help improve Banijan competitiveness in this sport at all levels.

Premier Soccer League Standings after 10 games

Code: Select all: Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts 1 Istria City FC 10 9 1 0 24 10 +14 28 2 Busukuma Athletic Club 10 7 1 2 23 10 +13 22 3 Jinja City FC 10 6 2 2 19 6 +13 20 4 Askatasuna FC 10 6 2 2 25 17 +8 20 5 Herzegovina City FC 10 6 1 3 25 15 +10 19 6 Hoima Warriors 10 5 3 2 20 12 +8 18 7 Kitara AA 10 5 2 3 26 17 +9 17 8 Bunyoro RSC 10 4 3 3 22 17 +5 15 9 Umbazi Metropolitan SC 10 4 2 4 8 9 −1 14 10 Isipongo Flash 10 3 4 3 17 21 −4 13 11 Mynda SC 10 3 2 5 13 16 −3 11 12 Aissa United FC 10 2 2 6 19 27 −8 8 13 Lwanga Lions 10 2 2 6 12 25 −13 8 14 Rukunbi FC 10 1 1 8 9 21 −12 4 15 Dukuma SC 10 1 1 8 11 29 −18 4 16 Lakiska SC 10 1 1 8 8 29 −21 4

by **Banija** » Tue Mar 29, 2016 5:36 am

First Round of RBSA Cup see Jinja City FC cruise to Quaterfinals of the tournament

Jinja City FC celebrate the first of 5 first half goals away from home against the Isipongo Flash

ISIPONGO- The much-hyped RBSA Cup kicked off this weekend, a week off from league play and a week of knockout cup play. The random draw was complete, and 8 teams punched tickets to the quarterfinals of the tournament, while 8 teams bowed out of the tournament in the first round. Plenty of goals were scored today, as 7 out of the 16 teams who played scored at least 3 goals, and two different players(Matthias Muhumuza of Istria City FC & Toyuwa Okafor of Jinja City FC both had hat tricks.

We'll make a quick swing around the block before the summary of the match of the week. In the day's first two games, Aissa United FC scored a 5-3 victory in a thrilling home victory over league cellar-dwellars Dukuma SC. Also, at that same time, Istria City FC played regional rivals Herzegovina City FC, and the league leaders scored a 3-1 victory at home against the league's 5th placed team. They were led with a hat trick by Matthias Muhumuza, who scored his 3 goals in the 7th, 43rd, and 52nd minutes respectively.

Kitara Athletic Association & Mynda SC probably played the most exciting game of the day at a soldout Sisonke City Park. A Kitara AA stoppage time goal from Abraham Akampurira ended up forcing extra time, and the match itself went all the way down to penalty kicks, where Kitara AA hit its first 4 penalties and Mynda SC could only convert one. At that time, what is arguably the biggest upset of the day happened, when Busukuma AC fell 2-1 at home to Bunyoro RSC. Bunyoro RSC scored two early goals, and then just played suffocating defense for 90 minutes.

The opening game on Sunday was also a close game. They finished 0-0 after 90 minutes, but there was definitely excitment in overtime. The Lwanga Lions scored in the dying moments of the first half of extra time, but then Umbazi Metropolitan SC exploded in the 2nd half of extra time, scoring twice to pull out a victory from the jaws of defeat. The other 3 Sunday games were not as close, as the Hoima Warriors scored a comfortable 3-0 victory away from home against Lakiska SC. Jinja City FC took a 5-0 lead away from home against the Isipongo Flash before settling for a 5-2 victory, and Askatasuna FC scored a comfortable 2-0 home victory against Rukunbi FC, thanks to a double from veteran player Bekila Yeneneh.

Code: Select all: Istria City FC 3–1 Herzegovina City FC Aissa United FC 5–3 Dukuma SC Kitara AA 3–3 Mynda SC (3–3 AET) (4–1 pen.) Busukuma Athletic Club 1–2 Bunyoro RSC Umbazi Metropolitan SC 0–0 Lwanga Lions (2–1 AET) Lakiska SC 0–3 Hoima Warriors Isipongo Flash 2–5 Jinja City FC Askatasuna FC 2–0 Rukunbi FC

by **Banija** » Tue Mar 29, 2016 7:13 am

2/3s of the way through the season; Jinja City FC takes a hold of first place in chaotic ten weeks

Team celebrates Tokpah Ba's(#10) week 19 goal against Hoima Warriors that vaulted Jinja City FC into first place

JINJA CITY- The last 10 weeks of league play have been chaotic in the Premier Soccer League. After the first 10 weeks of play this season, Istria City FC was 6 points clear. While there was plenty of time to make up that gap from other teams as they were just 10 games into the season, nobody saw the chaos for the league's top spot coming that happened over the last 6 weeks of league play. Istria City FC, the perennial early league leaders, led the league up to and through week 13. Week 14, was where it started to get fuzzy.

In week 14, Istria City FC played on Saturday, while the Hoima Warriors played on Sunday. Istria City FC opened the weekend with a 3-1 loss away from home, allowing Herzegovina City to achieve its revenge for their elimination from the RBSA Cup at the hands of Istria City by that exact same score. This loss allowed an opening for the Hoima Warriors, and they took full advantage of it. The Hoima Warriors, on Sunday, at home against then then-14th placed Lakiska SC, pulled out a relatively easy 3-1 victory, and, because of that, the Hoima Warriors took the pole position in the PSL.

They held this spot for two weeks. Then, in week 16, a 2-0 home victory for Istria City FC over Bunyoro RSC, combined with a scoreless draw for the Hoima Warriors, saw Istria City FC retake its lead. Then, in week 18, the script flipped, as the Hoima Warriors once again took pole position in the PSL. Week 19, however, was the really interesting week. Week 19 saw the Hoima Warriors, the league leaders, host the 2nd place Jinja City FC, who was just 2 points behind. In a match that set viewing records for a domestic club sporting competition, Jinja City was able to travel away from home, to PG Arena, and pull out a 2-0 win to vault themselves into first place.

The real story, however, has been the rise of Jinja City FC. Jinja City FC has been having a solid season, always competing for a UICA competition spot. However, Jinja City FC have taken 15 points from their last 5 games, which means they are winners of 5 in a row. This includes, of course, travelling to the home of the league leaders to possibly the most hyped game of this season, and not just escaping with a point, but outplaying their hosts over the course of 90 minutes for a well-earned 2-0 victory. This win streak has popped them up to the top of the standings with just 10 games remaining. However, just a point sets them apart from the Hoima Warriors, with only one more point setting them apart from Askatasuna FC. At this point, there are quite a few teams with great chances to win the league, so it looks as if we'll have an exciting finish to this season down the stretch.

Code: Select all: Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts 1 Jinja City FC 20 14 2 4 40 16 +24 44 2 Hoima Warriors 20 13 4 3 51 24 +27 43 3 Askatasuna FC 20 12 6 2 48 29 +19 42 4 Istria City FC 20 12 3 5 40 27 +13 39 5 Busukuma Athletic Club 20 11 4 5 35 21 +14 37 6 Herzegovina City FC 20 10 3 7 41 31 +10 33 7 Isipongo Flash 20 9 5 6 38 40 −2 32 8 Bunyoro RSC 20 9 3 8 52 42 +10 30 9 Umbazi Metropolitan SC 20 8 4 8 17 17 0 28 10 Kitara AA 20 7 6 7 45 37 +8 27 11 Mynda SC 20 7 5 8 36 36 0 26 12 Lwanga Lions 20 4 5 11 29 50 −21 17 13 Aissa United FC 20 3 6 11 40 57 −17 15 14 Lakiska SC 20 3 5 12 21 54 −33 14 15 Rukunbi FC 20 1 6 13 23 43 −20 9 16 Dukuma SC 20 2 3 15 25 57 −32 9

by **Banija** » Tue Mar 29, 2016 8:03 pm

Quarterfinals of RBSA Cup see 4 hard-fought, tight games as four teams punch ticket into semifinals of the RBSA Cup

Umbazi Metropolitan SC striker Toyuwa Gebremichael celebrates extra time winner to put his team into RBSA Cup semifinals

UMBAZI- After 10 straight weekends of league play, the Premier Soccer League took a week off in favor of the RBSA Cup once again. Of course, 10 weeks ago, the last time this happened, everybody was playing, but now this time, in the quarterfinals, half of the league was off. Once you get to this late stage in any competition, the games are bound to be close, and that did not disappoint. All 4 games were close and tight until the very end, and there was no gulf in competition in any of the games. Any of the 8 teams could have won today, but unfortunately, at this stage teams must be eliminated, and 4 were eliminated, including one in the cruelest of ways on penalty kicks.

RBSA Cup Quarterfinal Results
Aissa United FC 0–0 Bunyoro RSC (1–1 AET) (5–4 pen.)
Jinja City FC 2–1 Istria City FC
Umbazi Metropolitan SC 1–1 Askatasuna FC (2–1 AET)
Hoima Warriors 2–0 Kitara AA

The Aissa United FC matchup with Bunyoro Regional Sporting Club ended, after 120 minutes, in a 0-0 draw. The game was very boring, and the crowd of 50,000+ at Hangaza Unified Stadium was largely bored by the match on the field. The penalties, however were a sight to behold. Each team hit its first 4 penalty kicks, which meant from that point forward, there was no room for error on either side. Pilirani Makube missed the 5th penalty for Bunyoro RSC, while Amare Degu drilled his for Aissa United FC, which brought his team to the semifinals of this tournament.

Regional archrivals Jinja City FC also pulled off a 2-1 victory, this one being their 6th straight victory in all competitions. Jinja City FC opened the scoring in the 1st half with a volley from captain Matthias Muhumuza in the 33rd minute. This was responded to almost immediately by a goal off of a corner kick in the 37th minute by Saa Okoro, and then the hosts won the game in the 86th minute when Tokpah Ba scored on a free kick from 23 yards out.

Umbazi Metropolitan SC & Askatasuna FC played a strong 90 minutes, but could not seperate themselves in that much time. However, striker Toyuwa Gebremichael scored in the 103rd minute, winning the game in extra time for Umbazi Metropolitan SC. Considering they are 6 places & 14 points behind Askatasuna FC in the current standings, the upset victory was impressive. Lastly, the Hoima Warriors had a close, but slightly more comfortable victory in their quarterfinal, as Arioslavian international Andrey Soltykov scored twice in their victory over Kitara AA in the friendly confines of the PG Arena.

There remain 4 teams standing in this competition. Those are Jinja City FC, Hoima Warriors, Umbazi Metropolitan SC, and Aissa United FC. These teams are currently ranked 1st, 2nd, 9th, and 13th respectively in the league. While the draw for the semifinals has not been made yet, it is clear that, due to their success in the league, Jinja City FC & the Hoima Warriors are both clear cut favorites to win this competition, with very little chance being given to Umbazi Metropolitan or Aissa United. However, in single-elimination cup competition, almost anything can happen, and Umbazi Metropolitan has clearly proven that upsets can happen at any time, on any day, especially in a knockout cup competition.

by **Banija** » Wed Mar 30, 2016 9:07 pm

Jinja City FC clinch league title with 2 weeks remaining with 2-1 away victory over the Isipongo Flash

Striker Saa Okoro celebrates late winner against the Isipongo Flash that clinched the PSL for Jinja City

ISIPONGO- The biggest sporting news in Banija is the clinching of the Premier Soccer League by Jinja City FC. Jinja City FC, a team that were early favorites, made a slow start to the season. But, in week 19, they took first place in league play for the first time all season, and had a stranglehold on the position for the rest of the season. Starting in week 16, Jinja City FC caught fire. They pulled off an eleven game winning streak in all competitions, which meant taking maximum points 10 games in a row in league play down the stretch, as well as their RBSA Cup quarterfinal victory over Istria City FC.

That winning streak propelled them to the top of the standings, and kept them on top of the standings. Going into week 28, Jinja City FC was up 7 points on the Hoima Warriors with just 3 games to go, which meant a win on Saturday would clinch the league. Although it was away from home, Jinja City FC was not going to blow this opportunity. Rookie manager Alexander Bumba knew what it would mean to his team if they won this game, and he made sure they did. Saa Okoro scored twice in the 2nd half, including his 83rd minute winner, and Jinja City FC officially clinched the league championship. They will be awarded the trophy after their week 29 home matchup with Kitara AA.

Code: Select all: Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts 1 Jinja City FC 28 21 3 4 60 21 +39 66 2 Hoima Warriors 28 17 5 6 71 37 +34 56 3 Askatasuna FC 28 16 8 4 72 44 +28 56 4 Busukuma Athletic Club 28 15 6 7 49 34 +15 51 5 Istria City FC 28 14 7 7 56 44 +12 49 6 Isipongo Flash 28 13 7 8 53 51 +2 46 7 Herzegovina City FC 28 13 5 10 55 46 +9 44 8 Bunyoro RSC 28 12 7 9 72 56 +16 43 9 Kitara AA 28 11 9 8 71 53 +18 42 10 Umbazi Metropolitan SC 28 11 4 13 28 29 −1 37 11 Mynda SC 28 9 8 11 47 51 −4 35 12 Aissa United FC 28 6 8 14 59 78 −19 26 13 Rukunbi FC 28 4 9 15 34 52 −18 21 14 Lwanga Lions 28 4 7 17 40 74 −34 19 15 Lakiska SC 28 4 6 18 34 83 −49 18 16 Dukuma SC 28 2 5 21 35 83 −48 11

RBSA Cup Semifinals see Aissa United FC score massive upset victory over archrivals & league champions Jinja City FC

Aissa United FC captain Chibuzo Lokodo celebrates goal against archrival Jinja City FC

AISSA- The battle between Aissa United FC and Jinja City FC, for a spot in the RBSA Cup Final, was always going to be intense. These two teams are archrivals, and to be quite frank, they do not like each other one bit. Since this was the week after Jinja City FC clinched the league title, there was always going to be extra motivation from Aissa United FC to prevent their archrivals from achieving a domestic double in what otherwise is a disappointing season for AUFC. Aissa United FC came out firing on all cylinders, in a soldout Hangaza Unified Stadium, and won 3-1 over their archrivals.

They overwhelmed the league champions early and quickly. A 15th minute goal by captain and Banijan international Chibuzo Lokodo, followed by a 22nd minute goal by the same player, had the league champions down 2-0 early in the game. In this environment, in this atmosphere, the league champions did not have a chance. They split even the rest of the way, but tonight was Aissa United's night to celebrate. They punched a ticket to Busukuma with their 3-1 victory, and will play the league's #2 side Hoima Warriors, who took care of business 3-0 away from home against Umbazi Metropolitan SC.

RBSA Cup Semifinals
Aissa United FC 3–1 Jinja City FC
Umbazi Metropolitan SC 0–3 Hoima Warriors

by **Banija** » Thu Mar 31, 2016 5:39 am

Final Day: Busukuma Athletic Club clinches last available UICA spot

Busukuma Athletic Club striker Saah Desta celebrates week 29 goal against Rukunbi FC to clinch Gold Cup spot

BUSUKUMA- The first three UICA competition spots had already been clinched after week 28. Jinja City FC had won the league, putting them into the prestigious UICA Champions Cup. After that, both the Hoima Warriors and Askatasuna FC had punched their tickets into 1st & 2nd Globe Cup spots respectively, there was only one international competition spot remaining. Busukuma Athletic Club, up 2 points with two games to go on Istria City FC, the team who started the season with 8 consecutive wins, were going to knock Istria City FC out of UICA competition altogether, a stunning thought after the way Istria City FC started this season.

They were able to successfully do that in week 29, when a 2-0 victory at home over Rukunbi FC, combined with a tough 3-2 loss for Istria City FC at home against Herzegovina City, allowed Busukuma Athletic Club to punch their ticket into the Globe Cup. Manager Sarh Sarr has been at the club for 12 years, and he was absolutely ecstatic for his team's victory. There was not much surprise in the final league standings, as Dukuma SC finished well in the cellar as they only grabbed 14 points from 30 matches, including picking up 22 losses. While it's impossible to say where next season will go, this season was a season of runs, as Istria City FC gained an early advantage, taking 28 points from its first 10 matches, but Jinja City FC finished strongest, as they won 11 games in a row down the stretch which really put the league title out of reach for the rest of the league.

Final Premier Soccer League Standings

Code: Select all: Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts 1 Jinja City FC 30 21 4 5 60 22 +38 67 2 Hoima Warriors 30 19 5 6 82 40 +42 62 3 Askatasuna FC 30 17 9 4 73 44 +29 60 4 Busukuma Athletic Club 30 17 6 7 53 34 +19 57 5 Herzegovina City FC 30 15 5 10 59 48 +11 50 6 Isipongo Flash 30 14 8 8 61 56 +5 50 7 Istria City FC 30 14 7 9 58 48 +10 49 8 Bunyoro RSC 30 12 9 9 76 60 +16 45 9 Kitara AA 30 11 11 8 74 56 +18 44 10 Mynda SC 30 10 9 11 54 57 −3 39 11 Umbazi Metropolitan SC 30 11 5 14 28 30 −2 38 12 Aissa United FC 30 6 9 15 60 82 −22 27 13 Rukunbi FC 30 5 9 16 38 55 −17 24 14 Lwanga Lions 30 4 7 19 42 81 −39 19 15 Lakiska SC 30 4 6 20 37 94 −57 18 16 Dukuma SC 30 3 5 22 38 86 −48 14

RBSA Cup Final: Hoima Warriors dominate overmatched Aissa United FC 4-0 to take home RBSA Cup

Hoima Warriors striker Mamo Berehunu celebrates his goal in RBSA Cup Final victory over Aissa United FC

BUSUKUMA- The Hoima Warriors, the league's second-place team, took care of business against Aissa United FC, as they ended the cinderella's dreams of hoisting a trophy in the RBSA Cup Final, as they defeated Aissa United FC by a score of 4-0. A double from the young Arioslavian international Andrey Soltykov, as well as goals from Mamo Berehunu and captain John Katumba, allowed the Hoima Warriors to dominate the Cup Final in the nation's capitol, and take home the RBSA Cup.

Manager Gabriel Vincent said that today was a 'great day' in the history of the Hoima Warriors. The Hoima Warriors would not only be qualified for the Globe Cup, the second UICA competition, but they would also play in the Cup Winners Cup, as they successfully navigated the terrains of the single-elimination tournament to declare themselves cup champions of Banija. He said that international competition would be tough, but he would work to improve his team over the offseason and do his country proud in international competition, as well as aim for the league title next season.

RBSA Cup Final
Aissa United FC 0–4 Hoima Warriors

by **Banija** » Tue Apr 19, 2016 10:53 am

Banijan clubs battle in first ever UICA competition for the Premier Soccer League

Saah Desta celebrates winning goal to send Busukuma Athletic Club to the second round of Globe Cup competition

JINJA CITY- For the first time ever, the Banijan Premier Soccer League champion has entered international competition. They have entered into the UICA, where they are in the Champions Cup, while the Hoima Warriors, Busukuma Athletic Club, and Askatasuna FC, are all in the secondary UICA competition, the Globe Cup. Obviously, the prestige is in the Champions Cup, where the top teams go, but matches on both levels matter. Winning UICA games give exposure to the league, and most importantly, give Banijan players a chance to play against some of the world's best competition for their club, which will help them when World Cup 75 rolls around and they are called upon to play for their country.

Two of Banija's teams were eliminated in the preliminary rounds. Jinja City FC lost the first leg 2-1 away from home against the Lexington Victory. However, Lexington Victory took an early 1-0 lead at Kizza IX Stadium, and Jinja City FC, while scoring one goal in the 2nd half, could not score again as the Lexington Victory packed it in defensively and decisively won the 2 legged affair 3-2. There was a similar result in the Globe Cup for Askatasuna FC, where they also achieved an away goal in a 2-1 loss away from home in the first leg, but they simply could not put the ball in the back of the net as they fell 2-1 in their two legged affair with Tir Snake Strike.

Two of Banija's teams, however, achieved successes. Busukuma Athletic Club, the club from the capitol, won their two-legged Globe Cup affair 4-3 with Chell SC from San LLera, the place where national team manager Jan Casselerus used to coach. They drew 1-1 in San Llera, but then achieved a dramatic 3-2 victory at home, with an 87th minute goal clinching qualification for the second preliminary round of the Globe Cup. Young striker Saah Desta, who is making a run for the national team, scored a hat trick at home, stating his case that he deserves to be wearing green at the United Valhaven Championships, and the next WCQs.

The Hoima Warriors, who were 2nd in the league and the RBSA Cup champions, also advanced on away goals. They drew 2-2 away from home and followed that up with a 1-1 draw at home, where the Hoima Warriors clinched qualification for the next round in the Globe Cup. The second round preliminary draw happened immediately, with the Hoima Warriors getting the second leg at home in their draw with Xistrumbigonça from Dainer, and then with Busukuma Athletic Club drawing Ephesian FC from Zwangzug. While it is still extremely early in the competition, Banijans will be sure to watch closely when their teams take the field in UICA competition, as these players will have a unique opportunity to impress fans, and as these matches prepare Banija for the upcoming season.

Reforms coming to Premier Soccer League; Expansion in the works?

PSL Chief talking about expanding the league to 20 teams

ISTRIA- Premier Soccer League Chief Jonah Vanston, officially titled the league Commissioner, has talked about expansion & reform ideas that he has had with the league's owners. "We want to make our league more competitive, and grow the sport within Banija and grow the league throughout the region. We have discussed a number of ideas to make our league more competitive. We want to market ourselves more to foreign players, which will bring about foreign growth. We have discussed, alongside the Omulangira, the idea of promotion/relegation with a second division, though the league owners unanimously agreed that promotion/relegation was a bad idea that could hurt team development and hurt the growth of the league."

"What league owners unanimously agreed upon though, however, was the need for expansion. Banija is a big country, and we believe that our next round of expansion should see us reach at least 18, but optimally, 20 teams. There are a number of markets that we have yet to reach, and similarly a number of cities and regions that could host another team. We will work with prospective owners, to get the infrastructure to place, and grow the league via expansion." He did not take any questions after the press conference.

by **Banija** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 7:29 am

Expansion officially announced for the Premier Soccer League

PSL Commissioner Jonah Vanston officially announces expansion from 16 to 20 teams

ISTRIA- At the Premier Soccer League headquarters, league commissioner Jonah Vanston lived up to his vision of expansion & growth for both the league and the sport when he announced the final decision to expand the league from 16 to 20 teams across the country. After there were 8 applications, there were 4 ownership groups selected for expansion. Banija's capitol was the recipient of an expansion franchise, as there will now be a Busukuma Derby. There will now also be a second team in the Herzegovina City area, located in the suburb of Vidizi.

There are also two new cities getting PSL franchises. The first, of course, is Busembe, Kitara. The capitol city of the Kitara region, it is a soccer-crazy city that absolutely loves watching the sport. Its own TV market had the 4th highest ratings out of any TV market in the country for the previous Cup of Harmony, and their ownership is almost finished building a brand new, state of the art stadium that will hopefully seat around 40,000 spectators.

The other new city getting a PSL franchise is Bwubanza, Bunyoro. A city with a population of just a tad over 300,000 people, the PSL is having a more aggressive marketing campaign in the Bunyoro region. They only had one team in Bunyoro, the Bunyoro Regional Sporting Club, and now there is another opportunity for a rivalry, as this new team will step on that turf. While expansion draft details are in the works, it is rumored that the Premier Soccer League is heavily recruiting foreign free agents to participate in the expansion draft, so as to limit the exposure current clubs have to an expansion draft, since so many teams must draft.

The team names, in order of their mention, are as follows. They are the Busukuma Force, the Herzegovina Phoenix, the Busembe Timberwolves, and then the Bwubanza City Soccer Club. Expansion draft details, of course, will be released here first as soon as it is decided upon by the league and announced by the commissioner.

by **Banija** » Tue Apr 26, 2016 8:00 am

The Banijan Soccer League - Season 2

The Royal Banijan Soccer Association is proud to present the freshly named and rebranded Banijan Soccer League to the sporting world. This is the top division of soccer in Banija, competing with gridiron football to be the nation's most popular sport. The Banijan Soccer League consists of 20 teams, with 4 fresh expansion franchises as compared to a season ago, who shall compete in two competitions. They compete in the Banijan Soccer League, which is a double round-robin competition. The other major competition that BSL teams compete in is the RBSA Cup, which is a single-elimination knockout tournament.

Currently there is no system of promotion/relegation, as this is the only nationwide fully professional soccer league in the nation. The format followed for league play is a double round-robin. The format followed for the RBSA Cup is each round the opponents are randomly drawn against each other, with one side randomly being picked as the home side. There must be a winner in each match, which means extra time & penalties are allowed(there are no draws or replays in the RBSA Cup). The final is one match located at the Stadium of the Restoration in the national capitol of Busukuma. Breaks are given midseason to allow for the play of the RBSA Cup, and the RBSA Cup final is always held one week after the Final Day at the Stadium of the Restoration in Istria. To start the beginning of a new season, a kickoff match is played between the RBSA Cup winners and the BSL winner(or, if they are the same, the 2nd place team of the BSL) for the Kabaka's Cup, which is the Banijan Supercup and the match is always attended by the reigning Kabaka, who personally awards the trophy to the winning team.

The format for the RBSA Cup this season shall be different with the addition of 4 sides to the Banijan Soccer League. In edition to the normal rounds(Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinal, and Final) there shall be a Preliminary Round for the RBSA Cup. For this season alone, it shall consist of the bottom 4 placed teams in the league last season, all hosting one of the four expansion franchises. The winners shall advance to the Round of 16. For ensuing seasons, the preliminary round will consist of a team in the bottom 4 of the league playing away to a team in the next 4(placed 13th through 16th). The schedule for the RBSA Cup shall be the following:

Preliminary Round - After Week 8
Round of 16 - After Week 16
Quarterfinals - After Week 24
Semifinals - After Week 32
RBSA Cup FInal - One week after the conclusion of the Banijan Soccer League.

Teams in the BSL- Underlined players are Banijan internationals. Nationality is listed if they are not Banijan.
1. Herzegovina City Football Club. HZCFC. Location(city, region): Herzegovina City, Moravica. Colors: Blue & Gold.

2. Jinja City Football Club. JCFC. Location: Jinja City, Hangaza. Colors: Green & White.

DEFENDING LEAGUE CHAMPIONS.

3. Busukuma Athletic Club. BAC. Location: Busukuma, National Capitol Region. Colors: Red & White.

4. Hoima Warriors. HOI. Location: Hoima, Ankole. Colors: Red & Silver.

DEFENDING RBSA CUP CHAMPIONS

5. Mynda Soccer Club. MSC. Location: Mynda, Aksum. Colors: Forest Green.

6. Umbazi Metropolitan Sporting Club. UMSC. VFC. Location: Umbazi, Buganda. Colors: Pink.

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