Odur, Kayiwa star as Sserunkuma strikes

KAMPALA.

New signings Ibrahim Kayiwa, brace hero Tony Odur and Musa Esenu were sublime for Vipers, all scoring as the two-time Azam Uganda Premier League (UPL) champions picked their first win of the campaign with a 4-0 thumping of Police at Nakivubo last evening.

Headline maker
But there were no dismissing Geoffrey Sserunkuma from the headlines, the KCCA striker heading home the winner for the second time in five days as the defending champions edged Lweza 1-0 at Wankulukuku to make it two wins in two games. They top standings on six points.

As the league heads into a two-week break to allow the Cranes prepare for the Afcon qualifier against Comoros, it was a refreshing shift from the opening day, where only eight goals were scored in as many games. Last evening, the teams were in giving mood, scoring 17 goals with Vipers hitting four of them.

Abdallah Mubiru’s men outplayed Police in every department, except in conceding. Kayiwa, a signing from Express, was enterprising all evening, orchestrating moves from deep as well as finishing them off.

Goal of the day
Odur, making a second stint at Vipers, opened the scoring on 15 minutes, tapping in a low cross from the right before the handful crowd at Nakivubo witnessed the goal of the day.

Kayiwa collected the ball from his half, beating two Police players before releasing Odur on the right. Kayiwa continued the run and was in time to connect home Odur’s cross for 2-0 on 42 minutes.

Odur thumped home the third from inside his area two minutes later after Sam Timbe’s men failed to clear their lines before Esenu, an acquisition from Soana, completed the rout on 77 minutes.

“We controlled the match like the way we had planned,” said Mubiru, the Vipers coach, “Odur really helped us upfront especially with the opening goal.”

At Wankulukuku, where Sserunkuma did not wildly celebrate the 58th minute goal against his former Lweza side, KCCA had to win it the hard way after losing Isaac Muleme on 65 minutes. They played the remaining minutes 10 men as Mutebi had used his three substitutes.

Across at Lugogo, Express preserved their unbeaten start as Isaac Sserunkuma scored a second half equaliser to earn a one-all draw with hosts Proline, who had taken a deserved lead in the 19th minute when Derrick Tekkwo turned a Farouk Musisi corner into his own net.

Fred Ssegujja and Seifu Batte’s goals helped Bright Stars to a 2-0 victory over Onduparaka in Matugga.

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

Additional reporting by Ismail Dhakaba Kigongo, Denis Bbosa, Elvis Ssenono and Allan Darren Kyeyune