UPL: Resurgent Bright Stars face SC Villa test
Men at work. Villa’s Derrick Ndahiro heads the ball away from Bright Stars’ Moses Okot. Photo: Eddie Chicco
Bright Stars will be out to continue their remarkable rise in the Startimes Uganda Premier League when they travel to Namboole to face SC Villa.
The Paul Kiwanuka-coached side have made an astonishing improvement in the second round collecting 19 points out of a possible 24 to rise to 10th on the 16-team log.
They started the second round just one place off the bottom after collecting a meagre 10 points after 15 games under coach Meddie Kisekka.
The latter was then replaced with Kiwanuka who has overseen six victories and just one loss in the eight second round games. “It is about knowing what you want to achieve and giving the players confidence. Working as a unit has also been very important,” Kiwanuka observed.
Joseph Janjali is leading the charge with six goals thus far while veteran Sula Ssebunza has chipped in with three penalties.
They play a Villa side that is also flying high and are currently joint third with URA on 40 points but with a game in hand. They however lost their previous game going down 2-1 to Bul in a result that saw them miss out on a chance to close the gap on second placed KCCA to three points.
That gap now stands at nine points with leaders Vipers a further four points ahead to fit coach Edward Kaziba’s narrative of not contending for this season’s title.
“We want to get a good position and we will keep on playing with vigour,” he said after the 1-0 win over Vipers.
