Express bounce back, teargas becomes norm

KAMPALA

Express bounced back from the boardroom decision that saw them lose three points to SC Villa after the Red Eagles’ fans were deemed to have caused the chaos that led to the abandonment of their encounter in Mityana on October 17.
Express beat Simba 2-1 in Bombo on Tuesday to go level on 13 points with leaders SC Villa and Vipers.
The two are still ahead of Express thanks to their superior goal differences but the Wankulukuku-based side will be happy to rub shoulders with the table toppers than be in a distant chasing pack.
KCC also finally picked their second victory in five games as they ended Bright Stars’ unbeaten run in a 1-0 win. The defending champions sit a distant eighth with as many points.

Their lead striker, Brian Umony, has scored two in two games and coach George ‘Best’ Nsimbe’s side will be hoping the former Azam forward keeps firing if they are to defend the league title.
Rwenshama coach Shafik Bisaso remains optimistic that results will start to trickle in after his side managed a draw against Sadolin in Mityana last Friday but their loss against Bright Stars on Tuesday showed that he shouldn’t be getting ahead of himself just yet.
His defenders were all over the place in that game but after scoring just four goals in six games, he will have to ensure his defence and attack get in synch. Bisaso should start putting aside finances to beef up his squad.

Betting in UPL
Meanwhile, league action is getting thick and fast both on and off the pitch, with betting houses now listing UPL matches for punters and the ugly face of violence continuing to bite.
On Tuesday at Bugembe Stadium, Sadolin goalkeeper Muhammad Didi attacked a fan, causing a brawl and successfully tempting police to fire teargas.
On the same day at Namboole, referee Mashud Ssali was wise enough to delay kick-off by 30 minutes until security for the game was availed.
When action finally got underway, goal-shy SC Victoria University were determined to add to their only goal of the campaign, Matthew Odong’s last gasp header subjecting Police to their first defeat in seven games. Only 40 minutes were played in either half to make up for the lost time.

In the other news, football being played in betting houses has raised concerns among stakeholders after it emerged local games can now be betted on.
Listing UPL matches on betting receipts is, of course, bound to cause as much excitement among fans looking for an extra source of income as it will cause jitters amongst stakeholders as fears for match-fixing are real.
Hopefully, the financial hardships of stakeholders like coaches and players don’t give way to this vice that will remind many of the early 2000s when the ‘Arrow Boys’ settled matches before a ball was kicked.
Coach of the week - Wasswa Bbosa
The Express coach put the scuffle he had with veteran journalist Abu Zikusooka behind him and led Express to third place on the 16-team log after back to back wins against SCVU and Simba.

Player of the week - Robert Ssentongo
URA has been struggling since the season started but when Ssentongo started getting on the scoring charts, including a hat-trick last Friday against Entebbe, URA are slowly improving and have kept clean sheets.

Worst moment - Violence
It is always sad when players play perpetrators of violence. Sadolin goalkeeper Muhammad Didi, shouldn’t have attacked a fan as he did last Tuesday in Bugembe.

Team of the week - 4-4-2
Goalkeeper: Emmanuel Opio (KCC)
Defenders: Martin Kivumbi (Bright Stars), Ronnie Kiseka (KCC), Isaac Muleme (SCVU), Bob Kasozi (Express)
Midfielders: Mike Mutyaba (Vipers), Brian Majwega (KCC), Willy Kavuma (Express), Muzamiru Mutyaba (SCVU)
Strikers: Anthony Bongole (Bright Stars), Robert Ssentongo (URA)

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