URA FC head coach Sam Timbe has sent a strong warning to SC Villa ahead of a snapshot end to the ongoing Uganda Premier League.

The two sides are set to lock horns at Muteesa (II) Wankulukuku Stadium in the highly anticipated show on Saturday afternoon.

SC Villa comes in this game seeking maximum points against the Tax Collectors so that they are capable of ending the 19-year wait for a league title.

“We would like to end the season on a high note,” Timbe told the press ahead of the game tomorrow.

“We have prepared ourselves for the last game. It’s going to be a tricky game but we surely want the results. We are one of the teams that came into the league looking for the trophy,” he added.

“It was by bad luck that we are in such a position. So our bosses, players and the technical team want to finish the season in the best of ways.”

Timbe was the man in the dugout as SC Villa won their last title in 2004 after taking over from Sredojevic Milutin Micho who left the club midway through the season.

However, Timbe revealed that they will take on the table leader with no soft spot since they have a target as a team and the result should be determined on a fair-play basis.

“I did not leave SC Villa on the wrong note. So I moved on and I am answerable to my new bosses. So as a club, we shall put up our best and the result will be determined on the field of play and nothing else,” he underlined.

SC Villa are on the summit of the log with 52 points while URA FC are locked at 39 points in the sixth position.

Uganda Police Football Club will be on the road to face off with Adjumani Town Council in the second leg of the FUFA Uganda Cup semifinal.

The two wounded sides will be meeting in a highly anticipated duel as they battle for bragging rights to conclude the disappointing season on a high.

Police failed to mark a slot for top-tier (Uganda Premier League) football by a whisker while Adjumani sadly got relegated to the third tier (RegionalLeague).

Police command a 1-0 first-leg advantage but will face a real test as they seek to seal the assignment at Paridi Stadium in Adjumani.

“The current stumbling block in our way is Adjumani tomorrow,” Police head coach Angelo Lonyesi said.

“If we win tomorrow, we shall qualify for the final and let me assure you the moment we reach the final game we have the advantage,” he added.

Lonyesi is positive that in the finals they will have an advantage against Vipers who are a better side of the turf than the natural grass where the finals will be played.

“In the finals, we shall be on a neutral ground and I’m sure Vipers are through, they are more comfortable on the carpet than they are on natural grass so the favour is ours,” he concluded.

Police have previously played two Uganda Cup finals in 2000 and 2003 but have lost both.

Uganda Cranes head coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic has named a 42-man list of players ahead of the clash against Algeria in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nation qualifiers.

SC Villa’s in-form forward Charles Bbaale is part of the long list of players that will be preparing for the must-win clash against Algeria.

The left-footed forward has been tremendous for his side and his goals have been crucial in SC Villa’s pursuit of the elusive 17th league title.

He is currently levelled with Express FC’s Allan Kayiwa at the summit of the goal poachers’ list with 12 goals.

The other players from SC Villa are defenders Kenneth Semakula, Gift Fred, Umar Lutalo and Travis Mutyaba thanks to the colourful season that has seen them get close and closer to ending the 19-year title drought.

Uganda is third on the Group F log with four points levelled with Tanzania.

Uganda will lock horns with Algeria on June 18 in their second-last game of the journey before they later take on Niger in September.

 

 

Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Ugandan forward Edward Kizza has been named to the United Soccer League Championship Team of the Week.

Kizza scored two first-half goals in the Hounds’ 4-1 win over Las Vegas on Saturday at Highmark Stadium, also threading 22 of 24 passes and winning 9 of 15 duels for the ball.

The 24-year-old found the back of the net for the first goal in the 21st minute after forward Langston Blackstock sent a cross in, which Díaz got a hand to, making the ball fall right to Kizza, who tapped it in for the opening goal.

He later scored again in the 31st minute to double the lead for the Riverhounds. Midfielder Burke Fahling put in a great cross that Kizza ran into in the box and delivered a powerful header.

This was the second time Kizza scored two goals in a game, with his last coming against Birmingham Legion FC in the Eastern Conference Semifinals last October.

It is the first Team of the Week honor this season for Kizza who was the runner-up in Player of the Week voting, finishing behind only Detroit goalkeeper Nathan Steinwascher.

Uganda Cranes defender Bevis Mugabi eventually got another opportunity of action today as his Scottish club Motherwell drew with Livingston in the Premiership.

Mugabi came on in the 22nd minute after Calum Butcher suffered an injury. From that moment on, Motherwell held on tight till deep in the second half.

Andrew Shinnie scored a late equaliser as 10-man Livingston fought back at home for a point in the highly contested match.

Shinnie’s 84th-minute strike was a result of set up by skipper Nicky Devlin, a resilient second-half display that Livingston master-minded.

Kevin van Veen had scored the game’s opening goal just two minutes from close range, equalling the club record set by Hugh Ferguson 103 years ago by scoring in his 10th consecutive match.

Livingston’s goalkeeper Shamal George was sent off after 43 minutes following a collision with Van Veen outside of the area, but the hosts rallied to secure a late point.

The game was Mugabi’s 12th appearance for the club, clocking 398 minutes in the domestic league this season.

The Uganda Premier League secretariat has announced the adjustment of the kick-off time for the games that will be played on the final day of the campaign.

The new kick-off time will be 3:00 pm switched from the usual 4:00 pm.

“As we draw closer to the season’s end scheduled on Saturday, May 27 with one match left yet the difference between the top three is two points the UPL secretariat has adjusted the time for the last match from 4:00 pm to 3:00 pm,” the document partly read.

“This is done to enable us to hold a successful crowning event at any of the venues for the Club that emerges Champions for the 2022/23 Uganda Premier League,” it continued.

Going into the final day of the league, three teams still have the chance to win the title.

SC Villa sits on top of the 15-teamed log with 52 points after playing 27 games. The 1-0 hard-earned victory against Blacks Power sent the latter to the FUFA Big League while the 16-record champions Villa assumed the summit.

In the second position sits Vipers SC at 50 points. The defending champions lost the top spot after failing to pick maximum against BUL FC. The Venoms have been poor on the road and it was the same as they were held at FUFA Technical Centre, Njeru in a one-all draw.

KCCA FC are third on the log at 50 points after playing to a goalless draw against Busoga United.

On the last day, SC Villa will host URA FC at Wankulukuku, Vipers SC will set a date with Busoga United while KCCA FC will lock horns with Bright Stars FC.

The FUFA Women Super League 2022-23 champions Kampala Queens FC have released a document putting Resty Nanziri on sale.

Nanziri was the club’s top score after netting 11 goals in the just concluded campaign.

“Kampala Queens Football Club is calling for interested International and local clubs for the 2022/23 top scorer,” the document reads.

“Interested clubs should seek permission from the club that shall be generated to negotiate personal terms with the player,” it added.

PRESS RELEASE✍️. pic.twitter.com/VXabyfKwxV

— KAMPALA QUEENS WFC (@FcKampala) May 24, 2023

It’s still a shock to the football faithful who still seek to know why the champions have chosen to part ways with one of their very best player.

“The reason for the interest of the club putting up the player for the sale is creating room for more players who are joining the club in that role,” it concluded.

The Queens of Soccer have so far signed one player, forward Fauzia Ikwaput.

Kampala Queens continue to prepare for the zonal CAF Champions League that will be played later on in the year.

SC Villa edged Blacks Power in a 1-0 victory in the Uganda Premier League at Muteesa II Stadium, Wankulukuku on Tuesday evening.

Charles Bbaale scored the all-important goal as the Jogoos picked maximum points to go on top of the log.

The victory puts head coach Jackson Magera in a position that looks like the glory land with a brighter route to glory.

It continues to be a magical season for the Jogoo who have so far registered 17 victories after playing 27 games in the ongoing campaign.

After a goalless draw at halftime, there were high tempers among the fans who were hungry and eager to see the net shaking.

Seven minutes into the second stanza, Bbaale sent a powerful shot on target after being set up by Sheif Batte and goalkeeper Tony Kyamera was beaten to the occasion.

Blacks Power tried to fight back but Villa’s backline was up to the assignment and kept their goal area safe and intact.

This was the second consecutive loss for Blacks Power hence getting relegated to the Fufa Big League.

The victory takes Villa to the summit with 52 points while Blacks Power are 14th with 23 points.

In the next game, Blacks Power will conclude the campaign by hosting Express at Aki Bua Stadium while SC Villa will welcome URA on the final day of the season.

Tuesday, May 23, 2023 

• BUL FC 1-1 Vipers SC
• SC Villa 1-0 Blacks Power
• Busoga United 0-0 KCCA FC
• Bright Stars 1-0 Arua Hill
• URA FC 4-0 Gaddafi

Karim Watambala scored from the spot at the death as Vipers shared spoils with BUL after a one-all draw in the Uganda Premier League at FUFA Technical Centre, Njeru on Tuesday evening.

The Venoms came into the encounter knowing that they badly needed maximum points to keep in the mix for the title race but dropped two golden points.

Viper SC came close early as Ashraf Mandela released a powerful effort to test BUL’s Tom Ikara but the goalkeeper was equal to the assignment punching the ball away.

In the 24th minute, Watambala set up Isa Mubiru in a defence-splitting pass before the roving full-back laid a powerful effort into the area but custodian Ikara guarded his near post well and later Geroge Kasonko cleared his lines.

In the 39th minute, Fabien Mutombora pulled off a stunning save to deny Samuel Ssekamatte’s well-curled freekick.

With a minute to play in the first stanza, Yunus Ssentamu remained with a goalkeeper to beat but his weak effort was well collected by Ikara from close range.

Ten minutes into the second stanza, Vipers wasted another cut-clear chance as BUL’s backline fumbled with the ball in the box but Bright Anukani’s effort was emphatically blocked by Kasonko.

In the 62nd minute, Hillary Mukundane nearly pulled off some magic from a distance but his effort sailed narrowly by inches after forcing a way through bodies.

Two minutes later, Ssekamatte headed the hosts ahead with a bouncing header off Reagan Kalyowa’s well-delivered cross from the right flank.

With three minutes to go, Karim Ndugwa was fouled at the edge of the box, and Vipers were awarded a free kick in a great place but Sentamu’s freekick went narrowly wide.

In the final minute of the game, Douglas Muganga tripped Sentamu in the box and Vipers were awarded a penalty Watambala stepped up and sent Ikara the wrong way to level the game at the death.

The stalemate sent Vipers into the second position with 50 points and BUL is eighth with 35 points after 27 games played.

In the next games, Vipers SC will be at Kitende hosting Busoga United while BUL FC will be on the road facing Maroon FC on Saturday, May 27 in the final fixture of the campaign.

Abdulnoor Nsereko clinched the top scorer’s gong of the 2023 Uganda Secondary Schools Association (USSSA) boy’s football championship.

Nsereko needed 11 goals to reach his dream in his maiden National Post Primary (NPP) games that were previously concluded in Fort Portal, Kabarole district.

“I thank Allah for allowing me to become the top scorer of the just concluded USSSA games,” Nsereko said.

“I am so thankful to Allah for coming this far. It’s so kind and loving that among the 1280 players from 64 schools, it’s me to walk home with the award,” he added.

Nsereko joined Kitende in 2019 but hardly found a spot in the team right away due to the tough competition that he found.

Coming from Gaddafi Integrated, he was a star but that was far from the welcoming message that was witnessed at his new side.

“I was coming from Gaddafi where I was a big star. Often, fellow students would chant my name, yet at Kitende I failed to make the travelling sheet to Soroti.”

Nsereko was disappointed since he found the team travelling to Soroti but failed to make the final 20. But later on, he joined Vipers’ training session and his patience was awarded a position in the academy of Vipers SC.

After squeezing into the Vipers Junior Team, the campaign was brought to an abrupt end due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The pandemic forced the forward to the sideline for two years and he returned to action in 2022 as he was part of the Buwekula Ssaza side that lost to Buddu 2-0 in the finals.

“Coming from the Masaza, I was so fit and lucky enough I got straight into the team that played zonal and regional games but I still failed to make the 20-man sheet that went for nationals.”

That year, Nsereko scored six goals, three behind the top scorer but that was not enough to be considered for the travelling side to Arua District, though Kitende later went on and won the title.

But in 2023, Nsereko finally got his much-awaited spot as the school’s first-choice striker.

He hardly disappointed, scoring eight in the Wakiso Regional games to click the top scorer’s boot.

He later entered the Nationals at Fort Portal and scored 11 to guide his side to the 11th USSSA title to equal rivals Kibuli SS.