Seven matches that defined first round of hockey league

Men 

May 8: City Lions 2-1 Stallions
City Lions are clearly Kampala Hockey Club Stallions’ bogey side. After stealing draws off the Stallions at least once in each of the last two seasons, Simba, rebranded to City Lions, stunned the Stallions in a 2-1 comeback win on the opening weekend of the season. It is this loss more than the inferior goal difference that has kept Stallions in the familiar third position rather than at the top of the table where they crave to be.

May 29: Weatherhead 2-3 Stallions
Lose this and the Stallions would have put paid their title ambitions this year. Captain Richard Ssemwogerere came out firing from the blocks as they led 3-0 inside 40 minutes. By the time Weatherhead, who dominated the pre-match build-up having had 10 of their players on the national team in March, wrestled back with a 42nd minute goal it was too late KHC held out for a 3-2 win.

June 13: Weatherhead 4-2 Wananchi
This match saw the return of Emmanuel Baguma and Colline Batusa for Wananchi. The duo had spent some time since the beginning of the year playing in Italy and there was a sense of anticipation on what new ideas they had brought from the West. Unfortunately, their quick start to the game was easily curbed by Weatherhead, who ran away 4-2 winners to avoid the embarrassment of being kicked out of the title race so early.

August 29: Historical 4-4 KHC Originals
This was an unlikely bottom of the table clash. The sides had been 7th and 8th till the bottom-placed Mubs and Vikings failed to heed to requests recalling teams from lockdown to action last month. Originals came from 1-0 down to lead 3-1 before needing a flick at the death to draw 4-4 in probably the most dramatic game of the season.

Sept. 4: KHC Stallions 4-4 Wananchi
If the veterans game between Originals and Historicals does not cut it for you, then the top of the table clash between KHC Stallions and Wananchi should be your pick for drama. The Stallions led 4-1 going into the last quarter and actually looked like they still had goals in them. Instead their defence crumbled allowing Wananchi to draw level inside the first five minutes. Stallions also squandered two guilt-edged chances towards the death to drop two points and continue their three year-long poor form against the defending champions.

Women 
May 8: DCU 2-2 Rhinos
This was the lady’s season opener. Rhinos had finished bottom of the lot for yet another season.
And even some of their players could be forgiven if they thought they would not beat a team that had finished second twice in the last three seasons - remove Wananchi and Deliverance Church of Uganda (DCU) are surely the best of the rest.

Instead DCU froze after taking the lead and needed a late equalizer to walk away with a point as the game ended 2-2.
DCU have since recovered to move to second on seven points but no one knows what happened to Rhinos, who recently lost 13-0 to Wananchi.

June 5: Wananchi 4-0 KHC Swans
The KHC Swans were running high on confidence after beating both Weatherhead and Rhinos. A positive result against Wananchi, who had only played and beaten DCU 3-0, would keep KHC in their first title hunt in over five years.
Instead the five time champions burst the Swans bubble by condemning them to a 4-0 loss. Wananchi now look set to win a sixth unchallenged title as they only need eight of 12 available points to seal business.