UPL enters home straight

KAMPALA- The business end is here, and the thin line between title contenders, pretenders and relegation candidates is now a little clearer.

All 16 StarTimes Uganda Premier League (SUPL) clubs have six matches left to play, and their destiny seems not far from the truth when you glance at the table.

It is safe, for example, to bet on the winners of the 2018/19 title being any of holders Vipers or table leaders KCCA.
It also would not be wide off the mark for anyone to argue that it would take a miracle of miraculous proportions for Paidha Black Angels to survive relegation.

For the most successful clubs since 2013, KCCA and Vipers, each have a chance to dictate the direction of this season’s title on Thursday when they face off at Lugogo.

A KCCA victory would open a seven point lead on Vipers, making it even tougher for coach Michael Ouma’s men to defend the title.

Tough run-in for Venoms
When you flip the coin, a Venoms win at Lugogo would instead add further excitement to the race as it would reduce the gap to just one point with five games to go.

On paper, Vipers have the most testing title run-in.
The Venoms face fourth-placed potential title challengers in Mbarara away in the West after Thursday’s encounter against KCCA.
From there they welcome to Kitende another surprise title challenger in URA, who had no business being discussed on this topic until a fine winning run in the second round brought them into third place on 42 points, 10 and six behind KCCA and Vipers, and one ahead of Mbarara.

Enterprising Police, Vipers’ next opponents, have proved they can pull off magic against anyone on their day, while Paidha Black Angels in Arua – a side that could still be battling to stay up at the time – could prove a landmine.

“I said before that every match for us is like a final so every game is important therefore I’m confident and hopeful my players can make this happen,” Vipers coach, Ouma, has maintained. Vipers end the campaign at home to Bul on May 4.

On their part, manager Mike Mutebi’s KCCA have Express as the most notable name after Vipers. But while that is the case, it is worth noting that the other remaining four opponents including Paidha, Ndejje, Nyamityobora and Maroons are all fighting for their lives in topflight. Mutebi has never been shy of telling what his club stand for. “Our target has always been winning trophies and that has not changed.”

KCCA REMAINING GAMES
April 4: KCCA vs Vipers
April 9: Paidha vs KCCA
April 20: KCCA vs Express
April 23: Ndejje vs KCCA
May 1: Nyamityobora vs KCCA
May 4: KCCA vs Maroons

VIPERS REMAINING GAMES

April 7: KCCA vs Vipers SC
April 10: Mbarara City vs Vipers
April 19: Vipers vs URA
April 23: Police vs Vipers
May 1: Paidha vs Vipers SC
May 4: Vipers vs Bul

URA REMAINING GAMES
April 7: Nyamityobora vs URA
April 10: URA vs Bright Stars
April 19: Vipers vs URA
April 24: URA vs Mbarara
May 1: Police vs URA
May 4: Tooro United vs URA

MBARARA REMAINING TIES

April 3: SC Villa vs Mbarara City
April 10: Mbarara City vs Vipers
April 20: Tooro United vs Mbarara City
April 24: URA vs Mbarara City
April 30: Bul vs Mbarara City
May 4: Mbarara City vs Police

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