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Angry Mubiru puzzled by KCCA slide

Mubiru was visibly disappointed. PHOTOS/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
Following underwhelming results against Vipers, Nec, Lugazi, and now bitter rivals Express, the 1-0 defeat at the MTN Omondi Stadium on Saturday exposed KCCA’s tactical frailties and growing identity crisis.
Abdallah Mubiru’s KCCA seem to be spiraling into a free fall after extending their winless streak in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League to four matches.
Following underwhelming results against Vipers, Nec, Lugazi, and now bitter rivals Express, the 1-0 defeat at the MTN Omondi Stadium on Saturday exposed KCCA’s tactical frailties and growing identity crisis.
Meanwhile, Vipers, Mubiru’s fiercest adversaries, extended their dominance atop the table with a hard fought 2-1 away win over struggling Soltilo Bright Stars, opening a four-point gap.
Express’ disciplined and well-executed game plan highlighted KCCA’s defensive naivety and lack of cutting edge in attack, leaving fans questioning the club’s direction under Mubiru.
Yet, the embattled coach has refused to press the panic button, insisting his side will bounce back when they visit Wakiso Giants later this week.
Seeking remedy
“We are disappointed, and I mourn with the fans,” Mubiru admitted after the match.
“Everyone is free to judge (their wobbly performance). It has happened before, and we are not happy. It is upon us to correct it. We have tried but failed. We will keep on pushing.
We conceded the goal and failed to score despite getting the chances. We are doing everything we can, but their players were better than us today—that is all.”

Express captain Emmanuel Wasswa refused to celebrate his goal against his former bosses KCCA.
Emmanuel Wasswa’s clinical strike in the 30th minute handed Express a narrow yet deserved 1-0 victory over KCCA, leveling both sides at 19 points in the table.
The decisive goal came from a scintillating counterattack, with burly forward Richard Basangwa orchestrating the play to set up Wasswa, who coolly punished former employers KCCA - a bitter reminder of their defeat in the same fixture last season.
While KCCA cling to third place, Express leapfrog to fourth, with both sides having completed 11 matches.
Much of the credit belongs to former KCCA tactician Badru Kaddu, now at the helm of the Red Eagles, whose meticulous game plan neutralized KCCA’s attacking threats while allowing his team to dominate possession and dictate the tempo.
Despite the league being just 11 matches old, anxiety continues to mount in Lugogo.
Consecutive setbacks - a disappointing draw with newcomers Lugazi and this latest loss to Express - have laid bare KCCA’s glaring shortcomings, from their lack of cutting edge in attack to an erosion of the once-intimidating aura that struck fear into opponents.
Okello stings
What will sting KCCA fans the most is that their once-rejected prodigy, Allan Okello, is now the driving force behind Vipers’ ascendancy to the summit.
The boy wonder continued his red-hot form, netting his seventh goal of the season to guide John 'Ayala' Luyinda’s side past beleaguered Soltilo Bright Stars.
Congolese import Gusto Mulongo also struck for the Venoms, while Warren Buule managed a consolation for Ian Mutenda's struggling Bright Stars.
Mulongo drew first blood in the 16th minute, pouncing on Bright Stars’ failure to clear Moses Waiswa’s corner. Four minutes later, Okello showcased his class once more, coolly finishing Karim Watambala’s precise cut-back to double Vipers’ advantage.
With seven goals to his name, Okello now sits just one strike behind SC Villa’s Charles Lwanga in the league’s scoring charts.
The win, Vipers’ seventh in 11 matches, propelled them to the top of the table with 24 points, one clear of Nec, who played to a 1-1 draw with URA on Thursday.
Soltilo Bright Stars, on the other hand, remain marooned at the bottom with just six points from 11 outings.

Express interim coach Badru Kaddu is now unbeaten in five games.
Kitara revival, Jogoo blues
Wasswa Bbosa's Kitara delivered a masterclass in finishing, demolishing Mbale Heroes 6-0 in Hoima on Friday to claw their way out of the relegation zone - just barely.
Without Puskas nominee Denis Omedi, Fred Amaku and Jude Ssemugabi each bagged a brace, while George Senkaaba and Marvin Nyanzi added to the Royals' emphatic tally.
The victory, only Kitara’s third in 11 matches and second at home, lifted them to 11 points, one spot above the drop zone.
Mbale Heroes, meanwhile, remain stuck in the mire, sitting second from bottom with just eight points.
Elsewhere, Lugazi held defending champions SC Villa to a gritty 1-1 draw at Wankulukuku on the same day.
Charles Lwanga’s 14th-minute strike seemed to set Villa on course for victory, but Abdul Kalanzi’s equalizer earned the newcomers their sixth draw of the season, moving them to 12 points.
The Jogoos now languish in eighth on 15 points, with coach Morley Byekwaso under growing pressure as once-reliable stars Hakim Kiwanuka and Patrick Kakande fade into irrelevance.
StarTimes Uganda Premier League
Results
Soltilo Bright Stars 1-2 Vipers
KCCA 0-1 Express
SC Villa 1-1 Lugazi
Kitara 6-0 Mbale Heroes