Friday, 10 March 2017
AZAM UGANDA PREMIER LEAGUE
URA Vs Soana , Lugazi, 4:00 pm, live on Azam TV
Police Vs Bul, Namboole 4:30pm
JMC Vs Sadolin, Kakindu, 4:30pm
Lweza Vs Proline, Wankulukuku 4:30pm
Four Azam Uganda Premier League (AUPL) matches are lined up on Friday but it is the clash between two relegation-threatened sides in Jinja that is likely to capture the most attention.The other games see Police welcome Bul at Namboole, Proline travel to Lweza and coach Ibrahim Kirya’s URA entertain Sam Ssimbwa’s Soana.
At Kakindu fans of JMC Hippos and Sadolin are expected to seal off the facility for this highly anticipated Jinja derby.
It has hardly been smooth sailing for the four Jinja sides. All – including Bul, JMC, Kirinya-Jinja and Sadolin occupy the bottom spots on the league table. The four have actually only won a combined nine games so far.
Bottom-placed JMC remain winless, hardly an encouraging indictment as they head into their derby clash with Sadolin. A paltry eight points in 20 matches, nine fewer than second last Bul, hardly helps matters for the strugglers.
“We were let down by meagre funding from the municipal council,” JMC chairman Faisal Muhammad is quoted by the Daily Monitor.
“They give us Shs25m per season which is not enough to stage a stiff competition. I end up using my own money to foot the club’s bills and I can’t sustain it.”
JMC also lost coach James Odoch to URA midway the season and his replacement, Vincent Lukyamuzi, is most times in Bombo army barracks, leaving a bigger chunk of the roles to his rookie deputies Fred Makokha and Ali Kitegere.
At Namboole, fellow strugglers Bul welcome rejuvenated Police as the relegation survival fight rages.
“We know Police has greatly improved in the second round but they are also not safe yet. Any team below 30 points can still face the drop so we target getting as many wins as we can to survive,” said Bul assistant coach Peter Onen.
At Lugazi, URA coach Kirya takes charge of his first home game, since recently replacing Kefa Kisala, when the tax collectors welcome Ssimbwa’s Soana
A win for URA will send them joint third with Onduparaka, who visit SC Villa in Masaka on Sunday.
That will be Villa’s first match in Masaka since Nakivubo Stadium was brought down for redevelopment.