Africa-Press – Uganda. Express coach Wasswa Bbosa may not have been bluffing after all, when he boldly claimed in pre-season that the Red Eagles would compete for titles within three seasons.
If in doubt, ask Sam Ssimbwa and his URA team, who invited Express for a footballing tax assessment in Ndejje but instead ended up giving their visitors the tax returns worth a priceless three points, a plus goal and clean bill of defensive health.
Or perhaps the StarTimes Uganda Premier League fixture was rosy, Sunday being St Valentine’s Day, that the Red Eagles believed and turned the day synonymous with the colour red into their own – never mind that they turned up in immaculate white away kit.
George Senkaba turned the Tax Collectors’ defence inside-out on 11th minute to score the lone goal before the visitors took to showing their footballing transformation from the side that flirted with relegation in two of the last three seasons to one that flirts with victory on Valentine’s Day.
URA are widely considered title contenders but Bbosa, who was disappointed with a one-all draw against champions Vipers six days ago, could have none of it in the dominant display that took the Red Eagles up to fourth with 12 points from six games.
URA stay fourth in the 16-team table after their first defeat of the season that is crowded at the top after six rounds.
Uganda Premier League
ResultsURA 0-1 ExpressBul 2- 1 KCCAOnduparaka 1 – 1 Busoga UtdPolice 3- 1 KyetumeMbarara City 0-1 Wakiso G’ntsVipers 1 -0 UPDFSC Villa 1 -0 MydaBright Stars 5-0 Kitara
Still too crowded at the top
The see-saw changes at the top of the StarTimes Uganda Premier League table shows how unpredictable the season is.
Match Day Six saw Police temporarily leapfrog UPDF after they made easy work of Kyetume.Just 12 hours later, Vipers’ hard earned 1-0 win over UPDF thrust them to 14 points and gave them a firm hold at top of the table.Kefa Kisala’s UPDF put up a spirited fight at St Mary’s Stadium, but were disarmed by Yunus Ssentamu’s brilliant strike on 88 minutes – his third in three matches since returning to the basics.
Crisis at Lugogo
Mike Mutebi’s KCCA were second best against a well-organised Bul side, who could have won more comfortably than the 2-1 scoreline flattered to deceive.
Musa Esenu put Bul ahead on 35 minutes before Robert Mukhongotya’s powerful free-kick straight from the restart tore through the palms of Charles Lukwago in the KCCA goal to leave the fans who had pleaded their way into the stadium at half time rocking.
KCCA pecked the ball allover the pitch but rarely threatened and that lack of cutting edge was exposed when Brian Aheebwa squandered a chance to pull one back from a 78th minute penalty.Substitute Charles Lwanga’s 89th goal was too late for a result but good enough for a consolation.
“We created chances but wasted them. They used theirs well and won,” Mutebi’s assistant Robert Kabuye told Daily Monitor.That was the third straight loss for KCCA and it not five points off the top but also had some fans calling for Mutebi’s neck.In Ndejje, Express’ win capped manager Bbosa’s delightful weekend that started with him welcoming a daughter on Friday and celebrated the goal with his hands in a baby-holding mode.
“We were not ready to concede from set-pieces again. Our next assignment is against KCCA in mid-week and we’ve a different approach to take them on,” an elated Bbosa said.On the sixth time of asking, Douglas Bamweyana’s Wakiso Giants got their first win of the season. New signing Kipson Atuhaire netted the sole goal as the Purple Sharks beat Mbarara City 1-0 at Kakyeka Stadium on Friday.
Team P W D L GD P
1.Vipers 6 4 2 0 +11 142.Police 6 4 1 1 +11 133.UPDF 6 4 0 2 +7 124.Express 6 3 3 0 +3 125.URA 6 3 2 1 +3 116.SC Villa 6 3 1 2 +3 107.KCCA 6 3 0 3 +8 98.Kyetume 6 2 3 1 0 99.Onduparaka 6 2 3 1 -5 910.Bright Stars 6 2 2 2 +4 811.Wakiso G’nts 6 1 5 0 +1 812.Bul 6 2 1 3 -1 713.Mbarara 6 0 3 3 -6 314.Busoga Utd 6 0 2 4 -10 215.Myda 6 0 1 5 -12 116.Kitara 6 0 1 5 -17 1
