UPL opening day results
SC Villa 1-0 Soana
Bright Stars 0-0 Vipers SC
Bul 0-0 Mbarara City
KCCA 0-0 Maroons
Masavu Vs. Police (Never took place)
Onduparaka 0-0 Proline
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
URA Vs. UPDF Vs. M. National Stadium – Namboole 4:00pm LIVE ON AZAM TV TV
Express Vs. Kirinya Jinja SSS, Muteesa II Stadium – Wankulukuku 4:30pm.
Only SC Villa broke the deadlock in five Azam Uganda Premier League (AUPL) matches as the 2017/18 season kicked off across different venues in the country on Tuesday.
Vitalis Tabu’s 72nd minute free-kick was enough as 16-time record champions, Villa, beat Soana 1-0 at Masaka Recreation Ground to top the table with three points on a day four other games failed to produce a goal.
Among those included defending champions KCCA squeezing a point off a spirited Maroons, who could have easily won it but for Charles Lukwago’s inspired display in goal and some half-hearted finishing from the visitors’ forwards.
The other end, Lukwago’s opposite, Emmanuel Akol, hardly had anything to do, and even when KCCA miraculously beat him, Derrick Nsibambi’s header could only rattle the upright and return to the Maroons keeper’s safe hands.
Lukwago could have done with that luxury. But alas! He had to toil for his pay, twice tipping over Pius Obuya’s efforts and spreading to stop William Wadri’s low drive.
The KCCA goalkeeper also had to stretch his best keep out prowling Godwin Kitagenda’s free-kick as hosts desperately held on.
Allan Okello and Muzamir Mutyaba were supposed to pull the strings for KCCA in the middle, but impressive Obuya and Ronald Orombi simply outshined them.
KCCA manager Mike Mutebi was to later replace duo with Lawrence Bukenya and Julius Poloto respectively.
Elsewhere, no goals were scored between Bright Stars and Vipers – which game saw the hosts’ player, Jimmy Kakoza, sent off on 13 minutes, Bul and Mbarara City, and Onduparaka and Proline.
This is the first time in memory to have at least more than four matches on the opening day of the season produce just one goal.
Last season kicked off with eight goals scored across six stadiums, while the campaign before that saw the same number of goals in four matches.