Bul face potential banana skin in UPDF

Bul kickstart the final third of the 2023/24 StarTimes Uganda Premier League season with a potentially tricky tie against UPDF at the Fufa Technical Centre in Njeru on Tuesday.

The edible-oil makers controlled the race for the championship for the better part of the season but were dethroned by Kitara a fortnight ago after failing to beat Maroons in Luzira.

The prison warders gave Bul another chance to reclaim their position after holding Kitara last Friday but instead the Jinja side slipped to a 1-1 draw against URA in Lugazi.

Kitara lead the table with 40 points, one and five more than Bul and Vipers who have a game and two at hand, respectively.

Their opponents today, UPDF, have only won three games this season and are a firm contender for relegation but incidentally the three are identical 2-0 victories over Jinja teams Bul and Busoga United (two).

Bul has recently struggled against the soldiers winning only twice in their last five meetings. But their midfielder Ibrahim Kazindula borrows motivation from the fact that they have won all their eight home matches in this fixture in the last 10 years and haven't lost in Njeru this season.

“UPDF beat us 2-0 in the first round but we have to capitalize on our home advantage to beat them tomorrow (today) because these are games that we must win if we’re to remain in contention,” Bul midfielder Ibrahim Kazindula told club media ahead of the game.

“We had a small slip last time [against URA] but this is a good opportunity to return top of the table. We have played well at home this season and haven't lost a point yet so that is one motivating factor,” he added.

Coach Paul Kiwanuka who was appointed at the end of January to save UPDF’s sinking ship has managed only four out of a possible 15 points. The soldiers are trapped in the 15th place with 13 points, five below safety with nine games remaining.