Rush for first round benefits
Police FC and Hood Kawesa have been ‘flying’ throughout the first round of the Azam Uganda Premier League. PHOTO BY ISMAIL KEZAALA
KAMPALA- With just two Azam Uganda Premier League (AUPL) matches left to wind up the first round of the campaign, only leaders SC Villa, KCCA and Police can finish the half top of the table.
Right down under, UPDF – on the road to Luzira to face Maroons – could almost buy oxygen if they could.
“I’m supposed to steady ship until the next transfer window because with the way things are currently, we need reinforcements,” said UPDF coach Steven Bogere, who replaced Moses Basena at a time the soldiers were bottom of the log in October.
“We are doing our best so that January finds us safe,” he added. The window, however, hardly finds them safe as they negotiate their penultimate game of the first round.
The soldiers remain bottom with just six points from 13 matches, with Masavu – at home to Onduparaka – five points away.
Actually, only Onduparaka can infiltrate the top three with victory at Masava, which win could move them two places up to second on 25 points.
But it is Police – level with KCCA, who host Kirinya tomorrow, on 23 points – that will have SC Villa looking over their shoulders. Coach Wasswa Bbosa’s Villa top standings on 28 points.
Police, coached by Abdallah Mubiru, could cut Villa’s lead at the summit to just two points if they beat Fred Kajoba’s Bright Stars in Mwererwe.
“Our aim is to be competitive throughout the season,” Mubiru, who hopes league top scorer with seven goals Hood Kaweesa recaptures his scoring boots that evaded him at the just ended Cecafa, has over the time maintained.
Bright Stars tactician Kajoba will also hope for the same as his skipper and league’s runner-up scorer with six goals, Nelson Senkatuka, starts from where he stopped before Cecafa, where Uganda failed to defend the title.
“I trust him and my players to do the job,” said Kajoba. Elsewhere, anything but victory for URA versus Mbarara City at Namboole will be yet another moment of pondering for the tax collectors coach Ibrahim Kirya.
Kirya will, however, be buoyed by his side’s last outing when they marched to Kitende and inflicted coach Miguel da Costa’s side their first defeat at St Mary’s as the league went into a Ceacafa break.
AUPL ROUND 14 FIXTURES
Playing Today, 4:30pm
Bright Stars vs Police,
Champions Stadium-Mwererwe
Bul vs Soana,
Kakindu Stadium-Jinja
Maroons vs UPDF,
Luzira Prison Grounds
URA vs Mbarara City
M.National Stadium-Namboole
Masavu vs Onduparaka
Fisheries Training Institute - Entebbe
Tomorrow, 4pm
Express vs Vipers
Muteesa II Stadium-Wankulukuku
KCCA vs Kirinya JSS
StarTimes Stadium-Lugogo
SC Villa vs Proline
Masaka Recreation Grounds
