StarTimes Uganda Premier League
Mbarara City vs SC Villa
Kavumba Recreation Grounds, Kavumba
Saturday, 03-11-2018 @04:30pm
KAVUMBA – 16 Record League Champions, SC Villa are still winless after five games this season.
Not that it is a major crisis, no. The Villa faithful and some of the football diehards in the country anticipated a difficult season ahead for Moses Basena’s side after the exodus at Villa Park in the off season.
However, six games minus victory will start serious questions being asked of the current team led by Moses Basena.
On match day six, the Jogoos travel to Kavumba to take on Mbarara City, a side that should ideally be minor when compared to SC Villa.
After a promising 0-0 home draw against URA last time out, Villa will be hoping that come the final whistle on Saturday, they can walk out of Kavumba with their first three points of the season.
However, it will not be an easy task against a Mbarara City side that has taken four points off two other giants in Express and KCCA including a hard fought 0-0 draw away to the Kasasiro Boys last time out.
“We are not performing well at the moment but we have had improvement in our last games, said Villa Captain Ambrose Kirya heading into Saturday’s encounter.
“I am confident we can get a good result away to Mbarara on Saturday.
“I call up on the fans to come in big number and cheer us to fight for a positive result.
Team News:
Mbarara City will be without suspended Zaidi Byekwaso and injured striker Jude Semugabi. The rest of the squad is fully fit and they will look up to Paul Mucurezi, Ali Kimera and Hillary Mukundane for inspiration.
For Villa, they will be without injured trio of custodian Samson Kirya, Yusuf Mukisa and Joseph Nsubuga for this contest. Joseph Ssemujju, Mike Sserumaga and Bashir Mutanda are expected to be key if Basena’s side are to register their first three points of the season.
Match Stats:
This will be the third fixture between the two sides since Mbarara made their latest return to the top flight in 2017.
The reverse fixture last season ended 1-1 in Kakyeka.
Mbarara who sit eighth on the log head into the match having won two of their first five league fixtures (D1 L2).
Livingston Mbabazi’s charges will be gunning for only their ninth victory in the league since returning to the top flight. In that period, the Ankole Lions have drawn 15 and lost 12 of the other games.
However, at home, the Ankole Lions have lost only three games since the start of last season (W8 D5).
For Villa, they have gone 11 matches without victory in the league, dating back to last season (D6 L5).
Away from home, Basena side have drawn all their last four games, scoring and conceding two goals in the process.
The other games to be played on Saturday:
– Vipers SC vs. KCCA
– Tooro United vs. Onduparaka
– Paidha Black Angels vs. Express
– Bright Stars vs. Kirinya JSS
– BUL FC vs. Ndejje University
NB: All games will start at 04:00pm
