By 
- St Lawrence 1-0 IUIU
(Agg 2-1)
St. Lawrence University (SLAU) has once again proven its mettle on the biggest stage of university football, booking a spot in the 2024/25 Pepsi University Football League (UFL) final, their third in history after edging Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) 2-1 on aggregate.
A 1-0 victory at their fortress in Kavule on Thursday evening sealed the deal in front of a roaring home crowd.
The Saints walked onto the pitch at Kavule with history on their side, having gone six years unbeaten at home, and it didn’t take long to see why.
From the first whistle, SLAU set the tone—fast, aggressive, and determined. Just eight minutes into the game, Matege Innocent fired the first warning shot, trying his luck from range. Though the ball sailed wide, the message was clear: SLAU was here to win.
The hosts tightened their grip just seven minutes later. Ziraba Ronnie bulldozed through two defenders, but his attempt was blocked by Imunyo Allan, highlighting the early one way traffic in favor of SLAU.
Then came the moment that lit up Kavule.Kembo Osuman Arafat, a name that has grown familiar to the Saints’ faithful, got on the end of a precise delivery from Ssentongo Ivan to fire home the opener.
The crowd erupted. The Saints had not only taken the lead on the evening but regained the advantage in the tie. Kavule, once again, was living up to its legend.
Kembo wasn’t done. At the half-hour mark, he came close again, drawing a smart save from IUIU’s Musasizi Sadat. But IUIU wasn’t going down without a fight.
Their midfield engine Onongo Dennis took matters into his own hands, driving through the middle and letting fly a low strike that skidded just inches past the post.
Just before halftime, SLAU nearly doubled their lead when Matege whipped in a dangerous ball to Kembo who couldn’t get a clean touch. Imunyo cleared and the first half ended with the Saints holding a slim but vital 2-1 aggregate lead.
After the break, IUIU came out with renewed purpose. Just three minutes in, Mumali Faisal found space down the right and let rip a shot that rattled the woodwork, so close, yet so cruel for the visitors.
As the hour mark passed, the visitors turned up the heat. They pushed forward with patient buildup, and again it was Onongo who looked to make something happen, drawing a foul just outside the area. But the referee waved it away, much to the frustration of the IUIU bench.
With ten minutes to go, the match turned into a nervous chess game. SLAU held firm, absorbing pressure as IUIU desperately sought the equalizer that would push the match to penalties. The Saints, however, stayed resolute.
As the final whistle blew, jubilation erupted in Kavule. The Saints had done it. For the third time in their history, St. Lawrence University is heading to the UFL final, proving once again that consistency, home advantage, and heart are at the core of their footballing philosophy.
Now, attention shifts to April 15th, where Uganda Martyrs University Nkozi looks to defend their 2-0 first-leg lead against Bugema University in the second semifinal.
