Hail the 12-time champions

Kampala.

KCCA are four national titles within record champions SC Villa’s 16 after seeing off Lweza 2-0 at Phillip Omondi Stadium yesterday to retain the Azam Uganda Premier League (UPL) gong.

Tom Masiko and second half substitute Geoffrey Sserunkuma both scored from the spot to hand the 10-man Lugogo side their fourth league silverware in five years, with only Vipers interrupting the flow in 2015.

This is also manager Mike Mutebi’s second league accolade having lifted it last year, and KCCA’s fifth since Villa last won it in 2004 under current Uganda Cranes coach Micho Sredojevic.

KCCA’s triumph came as a much needed respite as Uganda’s sole representatives in the Caf Confederation Cup prepared to leave for the group stage first leg match against Fus Rabat in Morocco this weekend.

“Yes we are happy we have won the championship,” said Mutebi, “But we can only evaluate ourselves on the continent.”
The championship will have tasted even sweeter as it was achieved with two matches to spare, meaning Mutebi will be able to keep his most influential players fresh for continental duty, where six games await.

At 60 points, not even second-placed Villa at 52 can match KCCA from their remaining two games. Defeat for Lweza pushed them back to the relegation zone on 28 points. But victory for KCCA was not earned without a fight from Lweza. The visitors had two great chances to take the lead on eight and 22 minutes, John Kisakye’s low drive going an inch wide and KCCA goalkeeper Douglas Kisembo saving a one-on-one situation.

Lweza also survived when midfielder Tom Masiko’s free kick ricocheted off the crossbar on 41 minutes. Goalkeeper Ivan Mutumba moments later stretched to his maximum to steer Derrick Nsibambi’s header away from goal.

At half time, Mutebi introduced KCCA marksman Sserunkuma in place of Brian Majwega as a sense of unease grew at Lugogo.
But it was Isaac Muleme whose run down the left ended with a ferocious drive which impressive Mutumba measured up to.

The resistance was, however, broken on the hour, Nsibambi inviting a foul from a Lweza player inside the forbidden area for the referee to point on the spot.

Rather than grab his 20th of the season against his former side, KCCA’s regular penalty taker, Sserunkuma, passed on the responsibility to Masiko, who duly converted on 60 minutes.

But there was no forgiving when the next opportunity was presented. Sserunkuma released Nsibambi, the striker beating Sula Bagala into the box only for the Lweza player to hack him for KCCA’s second penalty.

Sserunkuma placed the ball on the spot and dispatched Mutumba to a wrong direction for his 20th goal and KCCA’s second of the match on 78 minutes.
There was still time for KCCA’s Timothy Awany to pick a silly fight with the referee, who responded by sending the player off late on.
In all it was 90 minutes of drama across all stadiums, where the seven games produced 25 goals, the highest on any match day this season.

Aupl results yesterday

Vipers SC 4-1 Onduparaka
Express 0-2 Proline
Bul 4-2 Sadolin Paints
Police 1-3 URA
Kirinya Jinja 4-0 JMC Hippos
The Saints 2-0 Soana
KCCA 2-0 Lweza

Uganda league champions

YEAR CLUB
1968: Prisons
1969: Prisons
1970: Coffee
1971: Simba
1974: Express
1975: Express
1976: KCC
1977: KCC
1978: Simba
1979: UCB
1980: Nile
1981: KCC
1982: SC Villa
1983: KCC
1984: SC Villa
1985: KCC
1986: SC Villa
1987: SC Villa
1988: SC Villa
1989: SC Villa
1990: SC Villa
1991: KCC
1992: SC Villa
1993: Express
1994: SC Villa
1995: Express
1996: Express
1997: KCC
1998: SC Villa
1999: SC Villa
2000: SC Villa
2001: SC Villa
2002: SC Villa
2003: SC Villa
2004: SC Villa
2005: Police
2006: URA
2007: URA
2008: KCC
2009: URA
*2010: Bunamwaya
2011: URA
2012: Express
2013: KCC
2014: KCC
2015: Vipers
*2016: KCCA
2017: KCCA

*Bunamwaya was renamed Vipers
*KCC was renamed KCCA