Defending volleyball champions Hotel Africana waved goodbye to the trophy after they were defeated by Dfcu bank in one of the most indulgent games ever witnessed since the inception of Corporate Sports Network (CSN)
They went down to a determined Dfcu bank team by 2 sets to one, and it was just a quarter final. From the onset, the match looked like it would be competitive, and when it unfolded, it was like a tightly coiled strong spring ready to snap.
The courts by the Luzira Prisons’ staff residences buzzed with noise—shoes squeaking, fans chanting, and the sharp thud of the ball smacking palms. Both teams moved like chess pieces in overdrive, every serve a loaded cannon shot, every dive a desperate lunge to keep the point alive.
In the deciding set, with the scores tied deep into extra points, the atmosphere felt electric and fragile—like a single mistake could shatter it. The final rally was a blur of blocks, quick sets, and impossible recoveries until a crushing spike from dfcu’s captain hit the ground. f The roar that followed was part triumph, part relief, and entirely unforgettable.
Did Dfcu celebrate too much too soon? That is the only excuse because, after removing a ‘dictator’ in Hotel Africana, they went down with a whimper. They looked leggy in their game against fellow bankers, Centenary Bank, which won by 2-1. In the other semi-final, contested in poorly lit conditions, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) sailed past a determined Harris International, winning by 2-1.
Finals will be contested at the August outing, which will be held on August 31, at the former GEMS Cambridge facility in Luzira. However, owing to the high levels of competition, there were claims that teams fielded players who were active in the sport and had until recently represented Premier volleyball sides. According to the Corporate Sports Network rule book, a player should have been out of active professional sport for two years for them to be eligible to compete.
