Africa-Press – Uganda. Few StarTimes Uganda Premier League (SUPL) clubs are well placed to pose questions regarding determination, durability and courage surrounding KCCA’s title quest than Arua Hill.
KCCA’s three losses thus far have come against Arua Hill, Maroons and Soltilo Bright Stars but it is the Kongolo’s 3-1 skinning at Barifa Stadium that gave the Kasasiro Boys the most rude awakening.
Expect that and more when Arua Hill turn up at the Omondi Stadium on Friday.
Livingston Mbabazi’s team outthought KCCA in all aspects thus shining a light at all the grey areas in the table leaders armour. Fifth placed Arua Hill tend to raise their game when facing the perceived heavyweights and the desire to add on their 23 points from 14 matches, they are set to die trying at Lugogo.
The 13-time league kings, on 32 points from 15 points, can create a six-point cushion at the top between them and second placed Bul that are not in action this weekend.
Morley Byekwaso’s side welcome back workaholic midfielder Ashraf Mugume and defender Peter Magambo from injury. It also provides a welcome selection dilemma for Byekwaso who has since added marauding left-winger Mustafa Kizza and youthful forward Hassan Mubiru to his repertoire.
Byekwaso sounds war drums.
“It is not an easy game because we lost in Arua ( in the first round) and drew with them when they visited here (barren draw last season). If we really want to be champions, we have to win such games,” Byekwaso warned.
He expects his former KCCA teammate Mbabazi to parade a resilient and aggressive side and is convinced that it won’t be a walkover which ultimately requires them to behave as ‘the team at the top’.
Kizza, back from a brief professional stint in Portugal, is raring to have a second bite at the cherry at his mother club.
“I’m excited for the opportunity and I thank the manager for that. I’m not 100 percent fit at the moment but I have been with the manager for five years and he knows what I can.
“We have to win tomorrow’s to keep up on the table.My family members are coming to watch my return to KCCA so I’m so excited,” Kizza told Daily Monitor.
Although yet to embrace the appealing ‘Kawowo’ football style formerly attributed to the club, KCCA will bank on a near perfect home run to halt a four-year title absence.
Jogoos upbeat
Unlucky to depart the Stanbic Uganda Cup via a controversial decision against Bul, Jackson Magera’s SC Villa will seek to make amends by riding up the table.
With 25 points from 15 matches in the fifth position, the record league champions are shoo-in to maul bottom placed Onduparaka in their last match at the ‘forced home’ at Akiibua Stadium in Lira.
Although the Jogoos will miss the services of forwards Travis Mutyaba and Umar Lutalo (with the Hippos in Egypt), Magera will count on Charles Bbale, Seif Batte and Rogers Kiwanuka for goals against the Caterpillars that have garnered a paltry seven points in 15th slot and have conceded 20 goals.
At Luzira Grounds, Muhammad Ssenfuma’s 10th placed Maroons welcome former coach Asaph Mwebaze who has emphatically lifted Soltilo Bright Stars to eight on the log.
StarTimes Uganda Premier League
Friday
SC Villa vs. Onduparaka, 2pm (Akiibua Stadium-Lira)
Maroons vs. Bright Stars, 4pm (Luzira Grounds)
KCCA vs. Arua Hill, 4pm (MTN Omondi Stadium-Lugogo)
KCCA vs. Arua Hill last three UPL matches
08/10/22: UPL Arua Hill 3 – 1 KCCA
11/04/22: UPL KCCA 0 – 0 Arua Hill
26/11/21: UPL Arua Hill 0 – 1 KCCA
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