Uganda Premier League
KCCA FC vs SC Villa
StarTimes Stadium, Lugogo
Friday, 29-11-2019 @4pm
KCCA FC and SC Villa are the giants of Ugandan football, at least the stats do suggest.
The two clubs have won 29 of the 50 league titles since the inception of club football back in 1968, with Villa winning 16 of them while the Kasasiros have triumphed on 13 occasions.
For Villa, it has not been an easy ride in the last few years as none of those 16 titles have come in the past 15 years.
Their last success dates back to 2004 in the era of the infamous ‘Arrow Boys’.
In the recent past, they have finished in the bottom half more often than closer to the top.
Last season, the Jogoos had to endure a troubled campaign as they struggled close to the drop and only retained their top-flight status on the second-last match-day of the season.
However, they look to have recovered from a poor 2018/19 as they sit comfortably close to the top.
They have lost only one of their opening 14 league games, with that solo defeat coming at the hands of newly promoted Kyetume on the opening day of the season.
Under Edward Kaziba and assistant Ibrahim Kirya, Villa are at least pretenders to the throne now and with each passing day, some are starting to believe they could be contenders.
On Friday afternoon, they face arguably the best side in Uganda currently in KCCA FC.
And if they are indeed contenders this year, Villa have to prove by walking away with a positive result from Lugogo, something which will not be easy as KCCA are very hard to beat there and have proves to have taken over from the Jogoos as the best in the country.
By the time Villa won their last of the 16 league titles, the Kasasiros had just triumphed on only 7 occasion.
As the record league champions have been struggling, KCCA FC on the other hand have become dominant, winning six more title between now and 2004.
Five of those have come in the last 7 seasons, further indicating how the Lugogo based side has been the best in the recent past.
They are trying to defend the title they won last year and although currently, Vipers sit top, it would come as no shock if KCCA eventually won it at the end of the season.
Goin into the game, they are coming off a loss to Mbarara City FC on Wednesday.
It is there first in 7 league games and one that Mike Mutebi did not oversee as he never made the trip due to late coming.
Speaking before Friday’s game, Mutebi appreciates how big a game this will be.
“This is a traditional rivalry and one of the biggest if not the biggest in the country, noted Mutebi.
“We expect them to come hungry at us and it is upon us to try to make it difficult for them to play here.
“We have Okello, Kizza and Kasozi back and that is a big boost for the squad ahead of such a huge game.
“I am happy for Sam Ssenyonjo who has taken his chance and used it well. He has scored two goals in two games. I will keep my faith in him and a few more youngsters like Kafumbe, Anaku.”
KCCA FC missed the services of Allan Okello, Nicholas Kasozi and Mustafa Kizza on Wednesday and their return spells danger for Villa.
However, they will still be without Jackson Nunda, Peter Magambo, Jurua Hassan, Sadam Juma, and Sadat Anaku due to injury.
Before a kick of the ball, Villa sit 3rd with 27 points, one ahead of 4th placed KCCA FC.
Match Facts
This is the 19 meeting between KCCA FC and SC Villa since January 2011.
In the past 18 meetings, KCCA FC has won 8, Villa 2 while the other 8 have all ended in draws.
KCCA FC are unbeaten at home to SC Villa in all their past 9 games, winning five and drawing the other four.
The Kasasiros have been dominant in the recent past-in this fixture, winning all the last three meetings.
Last season, they completed a double over SC Villa, beating them 4-2 in the reverse fixture, after they had won 3-2 away from home.
None of their past seven meetings have ended goalless. The last time it happened was on December 22nd in 2015.
KCCA FC heads into the encounter having lost only one of their last six games in all competitions (W4 D1).
In the league, they have lost only one of their last eight (W6 D1).
At home, they are yet to lose a game in any of their last 11 games (W8 D3). The last time Mutebi’s side was beaten at home was in February as they went down 2-1 to URA FC.
For SC Villa, they come into the game unbeaten since the opening day of the season. The Jogoos have now gone 13 games without defeat (W7 D6) since that 1-0 loss to Kyetume FC in August.
Away from home, they have lost only one of their opening 7 games of the season (W4 D2).
