OCJC Girls' Football Team Humbled; Morale Unpunctured…

Term I of 2026 has seen various categories of sports represented at the district level. Girls' football was not left behind. OCJC, the home of beyond academic excellence, was eager to leave a mark and, yes, a mark it did leave, albeit a faint one.

The 2026 girls' football team had twenty-three players who were trained by Mr. Olara Joe and captained by Aber Gabriella Mercy Bangi (S3, Red). The team trained for about five weeks before declaring themselves ready for the tournament. At the group stage, the team played against Grace Land Girls' School and then Favor of God S.S. Ocer lost against Grace Land but won against Favor of God. The results qualified them for the quarterfinals, in which they were paired against Gulu Army S.S., OCJC's indomitable nemesis. As captain Bangi attests, in the lead-up to the game, many people wrote off the Ocerians. Some, it may be supposed, advised the Ocerians to carry sacks with them to the field. Weren't they going to concede a flood of goals that only sacks could help store?

Aber Gabriella Mercy Bangi, Captain

Bangi reiterates that, true to many people's expectations, the game proved tough for the Ocerians; they ended up losing with a goal difference of 3. Interestingly, the way Captain Bangi phrases this goal difference leaves one with the impression that it was an achievement for the OCJC team; most likely, the team had feared a real flood of goals which, fortunately, never materialized.

In an effort to explain what went south during the tournament, Captain Bangi says, "this year's team was one of the youngest this school has ever assembled; by going to the quarterfinals, we did what people did not expect." Bangi adds that the team looks forward to reaching the regional level next year, "because we are still going to play and no one is going to stop us."

Commenting on her role as captain, Bangi, who plays defense, affirms that "I did my best as captain. I mobilized people to come for training and made sure that players knew and respected their positions." Despite the loss, Bangi highlights that "the 2026 football tournament gave our team a lot of experience. The experience gained this year will make us better players in the days and years to come." Captain Bangi concludes by saying, "Sportsmanship is not a talent or gift bestowed on specific people; everyone has that talent. It is only interest in and passion for sports that push one to learn and play. I advise other girls to participate in sports in general and football in particular; only then can they showcase and promote their talent."