Villa need statement, Express seek another scalp in traditional clash

Kampala. When Douglas Bamweyana made a winning debut as SC Villa head coach, many looked at the result, a 1-0 win over Nyamityobora, as a turning point in their season.
The club had collected four points from their opening eight league games, descending to the foot of the 16-team log in the process.
The result however appears not to have made the desired effect with the club drawing their subsequent games against Maroons and Ndejje teams just above and below them on the table.
The sequence of results thus adds more importance to today’s game against traditional rivals Express at the Mandela National Stadium.
“This is a kind of game in which you want to be in the thick of things. So as a club we are excited and well prepared for it,” Villa’s Bamweyana stated.
Villa will consequently come into the game needing to make a strong statement, the kind that their opponents picked in a 3-2 win over leaders KCCA in midweek.
The result left Express in ninth position with 16 points after 11 games as Villa hover just above the relegation places with nine points from a similar number games.
“We shall win the game we only have to work like a team as we did against KCCA,” Express midfielder Badru Nusubuga told the club’s website.
With a huge turnover of players and coaches in the league these days, there will be a number of interesting subplots with the peak of them being Bamweyana facing his former side.
His two stints at Express saw him at the club for a total of 15 competitive games with the former Makerere sports science head lasting eight games (W-3, D-1, L-4) as head coach in a tumultuous season.
A lot has however since changed at the club with Eric Kambale, Tony Odur and Ibrahim Kayiwa and Michael Birungi joining a new breed that includes the two Nsubugas Badru and Mubarak.
Villa on the other hand will rely on the blistering start Bashir Mutanda has made since his move from Kirinya-Jinja with the forward the joint top scorer with seven goals.
Recent history backs Villa too with the home side winning the last four league meetings although the 16-time league champions are yet to win at home this season.