Masters breathing fire

Fifty-three games of football in only three weeks have had sports scribes experience their busiest non-stop spells at stadiums, ..

Kampala

Fifty-three games of football in only three weeks have had sports scribes experience their busiest non-stop spells at stadiums, coaches a lot to ponder, players a lot to prove and fans so much more to sit back and enjoy. And they haven't been disappointed as the 53 games have entertained them to 196 goals, 101 of them scored for and 95 against. However, that avalanche of goals got a slight check in last week's round of matches as only 25 were scored in 14 games played, representing 1.7 goals per game.

Either defenders have tremendously tightened at the back or strikers have misplaced their shooting boots because those 14 matches also registered three goal-less draws. But that mattered less for newly promoted side Fire Masters as a nil-all draw against Nalubaale restored them to the log summit,24 hours after Express had claimed it.

The Wakiso Masters, coached by Richard Makumbi, currently look down on 17 teams, boasting 13 points from six games. “Many people talked and underestimated us but football is played on the pitch, Makumbi told Scoreline. Could Masters' form be a telling statement to title contenders? “No. It's too early to call. We'll take one game at a time and see what happens. I'm generally pleased with the standings so far, said Makumbi.

Masters' surge to the top has been engineered striker Zakariya Lubega, second in top scoring charts with four goals. After thrashing Simba 4-1 in last Sunday, they held Nalubaale 0-0 and matched the youthful home side pound for pound to wrestle Express from the top. That in it's self, a stern warning to the so-called Big Four.

Unbeaten side
Bunnamwaya, the only unbeaten side after KCC's unbeaten start was ended by URA in a 1-0 at Namboole on Saturday, kept it tight in the top tier as they dispatched Hoima 2-0 away to move to 12 points. Tony Odur (four) and Owen Kasule (three) are in the mood for Edward Ggolola's side, scoring seven of the club's eight goals.

“My biggest problem is that I need strikers to concentrate in front of goal which has let us down. When we have that sorted, everything will be good, Ggolola said after an entertaining 2-all draw with Maji 12 days ago. He must be a much happier man as Bunnamwaya won by a similar margin away to Masaka.  Express are attempting to look their former selves and coach David Otti must be content looking at the league table so far. The Wankulukuku-based side is level with Bunnamwaya.

An Express faithful ought to have loved the sight of old guard Hassan Mubiru scoring in the 2-0 win over Maji since his season-off return. “I can't say I am satisfied by his performance but he will get better by the day. It's good he's got the goal and that's what a striker needs to get going, said Otti.
But the Red Eagles will hope forward Noah Ssemakula stays fit if they are to stay in gear.

Ssemakula scored his fifth of the term against Maji on Wednesday despite playing with a thigh injury.The shock of the week had to be at Namboole as Victors registered their first win of the term and condemned 16-time champions SC Villa to a 3-1 loss last Monday. Villa will have to bounce back strongly against Kinyara, a match postponed to a later date, after the death of the club's goalkeeping coach Fred Lukwago last week.

KCC champions in 2008 remained fourth on 11 points after URA's Osama Farouk's strike ended their six-match unbeaten start. KCC coach Sam Ssimbwa blamed the referee for some biased decisions but his counterpart was of a different view.“It's a great result since we've beaten our direct opponent (for the league title) but it's a long way to go, said Moses Basena. But despite trailing the leaders by a meagre two points, the champions are paying the ultimate price for success everyone demands and expects more than they have offered so far. “You see, after we lost to Nalubaale, we went a bit timid but it's still early. I'm not feeling any pressure, added Basena.

Mujib Kasule's Nalubaale have to start scoring and winning games if their survival target is to be achieved. Nalubaale have failed to find the net in each of their last four games. They have drawn three of their six games, the latest coming against Fire Masters. A solution must be found before it gets a little too late. But they can take solace that they are getting points off draws.

TEAM OF THE WEEK
1.Martin Elongat     (F. Masters)
2.Joseph Kizito     (Express)
3.Godfrey Walusimbi (SC Villa)
4.Julius Isabirye     (Express)
5.Asuman Buyinza     (KCC)
6.Isaac Isinde     (Victors)
7.Sula Ssebuuza     (Victors)
8.Fred Kagobe    (F. Masters)
9.Noah Ssemakula     (Express)
10.Zakariya Lubega     (Fire Masters)
11.Sula Matovu     (Nalubaale)