The 12th Parliament football team on Friday morning thrashed Pallisa Hospital Legends 5-1 in a friendly match played at 7:00am at Phillip Omondi Stadium.
The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Jacob Oboth Oboth, who had earlier recognized the presence of the Pallisa team in the parliamentary gallery, commended MPs who turned up to play and cheer.
“We have showed the Pallisa Legends that we not only legislate but can also amend goals from zero to our preferred number,” Oboth said.
Oboth noted that the match was about more than football.
“As the Parliamentary Football Club, we had the pleasure of hosting our brothers from Pallisa Hospital Legends, a team from Pallisa County represented in Parliament by our fellow colleague and player, Hon. Ibrahim Ibrahim Aisu. This friendly match was more than just football. It was an opportunity to bridge the gap between us, representatives of different regions in Parliament and the communities we serve,” he said.
He lauded his team for thrashing the visitors from the eastern district of Pallisa and thanked colleagues for their generosity.
“I wish to sincerely appreciate my fellow colleagues who demonstrated that football goes beyond the scoreline. Not only did they turn up in big numbers, but they also generously contributed 10 quality footballs, a brand-new set of playing jerseys and cash amounting to UGX 5.15 million towards supporting our visitors,” Oboth stated.
The match was coordinated by Hon. Ibrahim Ibrahim Aisu, the Pallisa County MP, who ironically turned against his own team when he scored the third goal which Pallisa Hospital Legends goalkeeper Robert Wabwire could only watch and later pick from the net.
Aisu said he had warned his home team that they would be demolished because the parliamentary team led by FUFA President Moses Magogo is composed of talented players.
Aisu, who played on the right wing and scored one of the five goals, said his home team struggled because it was their first time to play on artificial turf, they failed to coordinate, and they were not used to playing early in the morning.
“They were so much excited to play the Parliament of Uganda team for the first time in the history of their career regardless of losing,” Aisu said.
He thanked fellow MPs who contributed to the Pallisa team and said some talented players had been spotted.
“My plan to stage the Pallisa County football tournament is at high gear. The aim is to identify key players to constitute a constituency team and by the beginning of next year we shall move to other places for matches,” he said.
Solomon Mudangha, head coach of Pallisa Hospital Legends, said his boys were fatigued from the long travel.
“Technically my side developed a porous defence and my midfield became hollow. My players know Aisu as a dangerous deep right player but failed to tight-mark him as he dominated in assists,” Mudangha said.
Lazarus Okia, the Club President, said in the return match in Pallisa, the parliamentarians will be disciplined and may even forget the Rules of Procedure.
Okia thanked MP Aisu for the exposure and t TVhe benefits received.
Parliament’s goals were scored by Hon. Ibrahim Ibrahim Aisu (Pallisa County), Hon. Moses Magogo Hassim (Budiope East, Buyende), Hon. Denis Sekabira (Katikamu North, Luwero) and Hon. Karim Masaba (Industrial Division, Mbale City).
Brian Wadalibisha scored Pallisa’s lone goal, while goalkeeper Robert Wabwire admitted he conceded due to technical errors.