Africa-Press – Uganda. James Odoch’s Express travelled to Uganda Clays playground at Kajjansi in trepidation after after witnessing most of the StarTimes Uganda Premier League (SUPL) sides struggle at the Stanbic Uganda Cup Round of 64.
Buganda Regional side Kajjansi United are also a different animal playing at their fortress and indeed showed it yesterday against the ten-time winners.
But Express made the best possible start to make a statement of intent, with left winger Joseph Akwandanaho forcing Kajjansi United defender Mike Kyeyune into scoring in his own net inside ten minutes.
Akwandanaho then extended the cushion by heading in on 20 minutes after Kajjansi United defence failed to clear a corner.
“We didn’t play well but the good thing we made it to the round of 32. Kajjansi played better in the second round and knew their pitch well.We have noticed areas of concern that we have to work on before facing UPDF in the league next week,” Odoch told Daily Monitor.
Kajjansi United forward Joseph Shisha had a glorious chance to shoot at Dennis Otim’s goal but chose to over elaborate before substitute Swalleh Ssimbwa headed in a corner unmarked on 81 minutes to pile pressure on Express in the closing minutes.
Shisha almost benefitted from Arthur Kigundu’s howler in the box but was saved by Otim.
A minute to the final whistle, Otim was forced to make a reflex save after substitute Ronald Kyabadde curled a daring shot from the edge of the box.
“We respected Express a lot in the first half and gave away easy goals. To mount a challenge, we changed the strategy in the second half and went with two forwards that troubled Express and almost brought us to parity,” Kajjansi United coach Edgar Luzige said.
In Lira, Regional side Elite FC got the scalp of Livingston Mbabazi’s Arua Hill winning 4-3 via spotkicks after a 1-all draw in normal time.
Spotkicks were also needed to separate UPDF from Steven Bengo’s Bushenyi Veterans who had valiantly held on to a barren draw.
KCCA’s double quest
At Bugolobi Coffee Grounds on Monday, 10-time winners KCCA will face a stubborn Kampala Junior Team (KJT) as they seek to give an audacious shot at the league and cup double.
Morley Byekwaso’s side lead the StarTimes Uganda Premier League (SUPL) table midway the campaign and make the short trip to face the Kampala Regional side with a full strength side.
“We want to win the Uganda Cup too and we know it will take us a lot of hard work.We have seen upsets at Gaddafi and Maroons already in the tournament and we will pick the strongest side available,” Byekwaso revealed.
In Kabarole, three-time Uganda Cup kings URA face unfancied Uganda Pentecostal University (UPU) with an opportunity to atone for an awful league performance.
The tax collectors have beefed up the team with a new assistant coach Fred Muhumuza, forwards Alfred Leku, Bruno Bunyaga and Joseph Ssemujju, midfielders Joshua Lubwama and Nicholas Kabonge in a dire move to resuscitate a messy season.Sam Timbe’s side last tasted the Cup glory in 2014 when they beat KCCA on spot kicks in Mbale.
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