Prisons turn heartbreak into KCCA pain

Prisons Netball Club had the perfect response to last weekend’s heartbreak, handing defending champions KCCA Netball Club their first defeat of the season with a tense 55-54 victory under the floodlights at Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo, on Saturday.

After falling agonisingly short against UCU Angels, the prison wardens returned determined to make amends. This time, they held their nerve when it mattered most, edging a closely fought encounter by a single goal to end KCCA’s unbeaten run in the Uganda Netball Super League.

Prisons Netball Club will head into their next encounter against defending champions KCCA Netball Club with confidence. Prisons have shown they can match KCCA under pressure, having staged a sensational final-quarter comeback to force a 47–47 draw in their previous meeting at Hamz Stadium in Nakivubo before claiming a narrow victory in their latest encounter. That resilience could prove crucial when the two sides meet again, with Prisons having demonstrated their ability to fight back against the champions.

However, KCCA’s record in such encounters meant they couldn’t be written off. The defending champions had beaten Prisons 44-41 in the December 2025 National Super League final and edged them 44-43 in the East African Club Championship semi-finals in May 2025.

Prisons, on the other hand, won the 2023 league final 46-41, while KCCA claimed a 48-45 victory in December 2022. The historical record points to a closely matched rivalry.

Prisons’ recent victory gives them the psychological advantage heading into the next meeting, while KCCA will be eager to reassert their authority. It was a game of small margins, with neither side willing to give an inch.

KCCA started brightly, taking a 14-10 lead in the opening quarter and putting Prisons on the back foot. However, the wardens responded in the second period, scoring 16 goals against KCCA’s 13 to cut the deficit to just one goal at half-time, with the champions leading 27-26.

The contest remained tight after the break, with both teams scoring 14 goals apiece in the third quarter. Neither could find a way to pull clear in the final period either, as they managed 13 goals each.

But that was enough for Prisons, who emerged with a narrow 55-54 victory after a tense battle that went down to the wire.

The win lifted Prisons to third place with 20 points from 11 matches, level with KCCA, who remain second on a superior goal difference. UCU Angels continue to lead the standings with 22 points from 12 matches.

KCCA, meanwhile, were without defender Shafie Nalwanjja, who missed the encounter through a one-match suspension stemming from an incident during their 52-42 victory over Buddo last weekend.

Nalwanjja had protested consecutive decisions by umpire Wycliffe Nahayo and was initially suspended for two minutes. The situation escalated following a confrontation involving Lean Gill and her mother, umpire assessor Zubedah Nassanga.

The incident resulted in Nalwanjja receiving a one-match suspension, Gill being barred from the stadium for one match, and Nassanga receiving a warning.

Aisha Nakuya

Prisons find their response

For Prisons, Saturday’s result was about more than ending KCCA’s unbeaten run. It was also an opportunity to put last weekend’s painful defeat behind them.

They had looked well placed to beat UCU Angels after taking a 25-20 lead into half-time, only for the university side to turn the match around in the second half.

UCU fought back to win the third quarter 13-8 before edging the final period 13-12, completing a comeback to take the match 46-45.

That defeat left Prisons with little room for error against the defending champions. They responded by staying in the contest despite their slow start and refusing to let KCCA pull away.

The victory gives the wardens renewed belief as the title race gathers pace, while KCCA must now recover from their first setback of the campaign.

With UCU Angels still at the summit and Prisons level on points with KCCA, the fight for supremacy remains wide open.

NIC, Canan shine as Busia stun Dynamite

Elsewhere, NIC enjoyed a much-needed return to winning ways, recording two convincing victories over the weekend.

They began by defeating Dynamite 50-26 before following it up with a 52-37 win against UPDF.

Canan also had a productive weekend, overcoming Busia Greater Lions 58-43 before beating Kajjansi 53-43 to complete a double.

Police defeated Posta 45-34, but Posta recovered later to hold Kajjansi to a 44-44 draw.

Busia Greater Lions provided one of the weekend’s biggest surprises, bouncing back from their defeat to Canan by beating Dynamite 43-38.

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