Kinoni High School from Rwampara, Mbarara District, were crowned champions of the fourth edition of the Brave Girls Tournament after defeating Mbarara City High School 2-0 on penalties at Nyakasanga Playground in Kasese.
Kinoni secured the title in a dramatic shootout, with Nazziwa Sharifah and Musimenta Moreen converting their penalties to seal victory.
The triumph came after defending champions God Care Secondary School were eliminated at the semi-final stage, despite being tipped to retain the trophy by referee Medress Mbambu.
Mbambu, who has three years of experience as a FUFA referee, had backed God Care to win again, citing the team’s strong communication and coordination.
More than 20 schools from Kampala, Mbarara and Kasese participated in this year’s tournament, which is organised annually by Reach A Hand Africa to promote girls’ participation in sport and empower young women.
Beyond football, the tournament provides a platform to address issues affecting young people, including gender stereotypes, sexual and gender-based violence, alcohol and substance abuse, HIV and mental health.
Benson Muhindo, Director of Programmes at Reach A Hand Africa, said the tournament is also intended to encourage girls to remain in school.
“We organise this tournament particularly to make sure that the girl child stays in school, and we are using sport to pass on this message to the girls from the participating schools, but also to those who are not participating today,” Muhindo said.
He added that football provides an avenue for challenging traditional gender stereotypes while bringing communities together to discuss issues affecting young people.
Muhindo also highlighted the wider health benefits of sport, saying participation supports the girls’ physical and mental wellbeing, improves sleep and contributes to menstrual wellbeing.
Reach A Hand Africa CEO Humphrey Nabimanya also thanked the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) for supporting the tournament and contributing to the growth of girls’ football.
The Brave Girls Tournament was initiated in 2022, with the inaugural edition held in 2023 involving 10 schools at Elite High School. The competition grew to 18 schools in 2024 before expanding to Western Uganda in 2025, when 22 secondary schools from the Mbarara area took part.
The continued expansion has seen the tournament reach more girls while using football as a vehicle for empowerment, confidence-building and advocacy.
Individual awards were also handed out, with Muhindo Remmy of Kasese Secondary School finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with six goals.
Nazziwa Treasure of Mbarara City High School was named Most Valuable Player, while Kinoni High School’s Nimusiima Nice was voted Best Goalkeeper. Seguya Hanson received the Best Coach award.
Kinoni High School took home UGX 2 million and the championship trophy, while Mbarara City High School received UGX 1 million and Kasese Secondary School were awarded UGX 500,000.
Reach A Hand Africa says it plans to continue expanding the tournament as part of its efforts to use sport to empower girls, promote their wellbeing and create opportunities for them to participate and express themselves.
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