Luuka and Buzaaya have secured places in the semifinals of the ninth edition of the MTN Busoga Masaza Cup, completing the last four alongside Butembe and Bunhole Bunanhumba.

Luuka booked their place after defeating Budiope 2-1 in the third quarterfinal played at Bugembe Stadium.

Luuka took an early lead within the opening three minutes, but Budiope fought back to level the score before half-time.

However, Luuka restored their advantage in the second half and held on to secure victory and progress to the semifinals.

Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn

In the other quarterfinal, Buzaaya eliminated Bunha 5-3 in a penalty shootout after the two sides played out a goalless draw in regulation time.

Bunha enjoyed spells of dominance during the match but failed to find a breakthrough against a determined Buzaaya defence. The resulting penalty shootout favoured Buzaaya, bringing Bunha's campaign to an end.

Luuka head coach Abdullah Seaman expressed confidence in his team's chances of winning the competition, saying his players were in good form and had the quality needed to go all the way.

"We will make it to the final, and we have what it takes to lift this year's trophy," Seaman said.

His Budiope counterpart, Sharif Lagwe, said his players had failed to execute their game plan, conceding an early goal and missing opportunities to equalise.

Lagwe said the team would regroup and begin preparations for next season following their elimination.

The four semifinalists are now Luuka, Buzaaya, Butembe and Bunhole Bunanhumba.

The semifinal fixtures and match dates are expected to be announced in due course. All remaining matches in the competition will be played at Bugembe Stadium.