KCCA bounced back from their painful 1-0 defeat to Kitara in their last outing to thrash NEC 3-0 at the MTN Omondi Stadium, Lugogo on Wednesday night.
A Muhammad Shaban brace and a goal from Ashraf Mugume were enough to avenge a first round 2-0 defeat to the same side and at the same venue.
The two share the stadium, which belongs to KCCA, this season. Ninth-placed KCCA’s only eighth win in 19 matches moves them to 26 points, a massive 13 behind leaders Kitara.
Topflight debutants, NEC, who were losing their sixth game of the season having won nine and drawn the other four, stay fourth on 31 points.
KCCA went ahead on 10 minutes through Shaban, who cleverly connected the ball home after NEC’s Ibrahim Kiyemba failed to deal with Pilsner Man of the Match, Joao Gabriel’s lofted-in ball.
The striker, Shaban, made it 2-0 four minutes to half time with his 11th goal of the season, level with Soltilo Bright Stars’ Nelson Senkatuka.
Shaban accepted a gift from NEC’s Shamir Kimwero’s back pass, receiving the ball and whipping it in with the outside of his right boot – just outside the 18-yard area – and past goalkeeper Samson Kirya.
Brazilian Joao Gabriel and Mugume then combined for the third on 55 minutes, the former cleverly lifting the ball over NEC high line and the latter doing the rest.