Azam Premier League Results
KCCA 5-1 Kirinya-Jinja
Soana 0-2 SC Villa
Bright Stars 1-1 Proline
KCCA moved to within a point of retaining the Azam Uganda Premier League (AUPL) title following a commanding 5-1 victory over Kirinya-Jinja at Lugogo on Saturday.
Derrick Nsibambi netted a brace while Sulaimon Akinyemi, Geoffrey Sserunkuma and Noel Nasassira each helped themselves to a goal.
KCCA manager Mike Mutebi named youngsters Mustapha Kizza and Peter Magambo in a lineup that had Douglas Kisembo in goal.
League leading striker Geoffrey Sserunkuma and in-form Derrick Nsibambi were tasked to look for goals.
KCCA took the lead when Akinyemi beat goalkeeper Tom Ikara on 14 minutes.
Tom Masiko then hit the bar with a freekick on 22 minutes before the second goal arrived 11 minutes later when Kamya brought down the marauding Denis Rukundo.
Sserunkuma duly stepped forward and scored the resultant penalty for KCCA’s second and the striker’s 19th goal of the season.
The visitors rallied to pull one back when referee Mashood Ssali awarded a penalty in the 56th minute after KCCA captain Dennis Okot fouled Bashir Mutanda, who lifted himself to score the resultant spotkick.
But the game was put out of their reach 20 minutes later when a delightful through ball from substitute Ivan Ntege left Nsibambi with only the goalkeeper to beat.
The striker did just that, lofting the ball over the advancing keeper for a 3-1 scoreline after 78 minutes.
Nsibambi was not done. Some, almost natural, understanding between him and Sserunkuma created the fourth with the former meeting the latter’s chip with a diving header for his fourth goal in three games.
Another substitute, Noel Nasasira, then put the final nail in Kirinya-Jinja’s coffin, benefiting from Nsibambi’s lay-on to slide home the fifth to the delight of coach Mutebi and the home crowd.
Victory moved KCCA to 57 points, five ahead of nearest challengers SC Villa, who also won against Soana 2-0.
An own goal from John Muwanguzi and another strike by Umar Kasumba ensured Villa stayed KCCA celebrations for at least another two days.
Sirajje Turyamuhebwa of Soana and SC Villa’s Emmanuel Okwi were sent off in this one.
With three games left, KCCA now require to only avoid defeat against Lweza in the next encounter on Tuesday to retain their crown.
Elsewhere, Fred Segujja and Nelson Ssenkatuka scored for Bright Stars and Proline respectively as the two settled for a 1-1 stalemate in Matugga.