Saturday, Sept 23, 2017 (4:00pm)
Vipers SC Vs. SC Villa – St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende (Live on Azam TV)
UPDF Vs. Express – Bombo Barracks Grounds
Kirinya-Jinja Vs. Bul – Bugembe Stadium, Jinja.
Three Azam Uganda Premier League (AUPL) matches are lined up this weekend but much attention will inevitably be at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende.
UPDF square off with Express in Bombo as both sides look for their first victory in three games, while Bul travel to Jinja to face buoyant Kirinya.
But it is the tie between Vipers SC and SC Villa at Kitende that headlines Saturday, where the real fight for early pace and psychological edge will ensue.
The two sides share 18 league titles between them, with Villa hogging 16 of the accolades.
Vipers and Villa enter this game level on four points, five and three places away from leaders KCCA, who have garnered one more mark.
Miguel da Costa and Wasswa Bbosa, Vipers and Villa’s coaches, know victory could send one of them top on seven points while condemning the other to their first defeat of the season.
This game will also see Tadeo Lwanga come up against his most recent employers in Villa, a move that left a bitter taste in the Blues mouths.
“Villa gave me a chance to captain them at a tender age,” said Lwanga, “They also allowed me to finish my studies when I had just signed a contract with them.
“However, SC Villa may be at heart, but football is football. Expect a more determined venom (Vipers) on Saturday.”
Villa coach Bbosa will demand his strikers show more cause than they did in the 1-1 draw against Police, where Allan Kyambadde, George Ssenkaaba and Alex Kitata wasted numerous opportunities to win the game.
“We created clear chances but I don’t want to blame any individual,” said Bbosa, “As a team, we must be more clinical (against Vipers).”
Godfrey Lwesibawa scored Villa’s goal in the aforementioned draw, and Bbosa will hope more comes today.
Vipers coach Da Costa welcomes back midfielder Moses Waisswa from injury, who is expected to partner Lwanga to fees Tony Odur, Milton Karisa and Erisa Ssekisambu.