Uganda Premier League | Wednesday | MD26
- Mbale Heroes 0-1 Maroons
- URA 1-1 SC Villa
- Soltilo Bright Stars 0-1 Express
- Mbarara City 1-2 NEC
- Kitara 0-0 Wakiso Giants
On a night when away teams flexed their might, the Uganda Premier League delivered drama, shifting the tides at both ends of the table.
Express FC, Maroons and NEC all picked up vital away wins while Mbale Heroes were officially relegated after a dismal campaign.
Meanwhile, SC Villa shared the spoils with URA in a tightly contested clash under the lights.
- Mbale Heroes bow out in agony
At the Mbale Municipal Stadium, the curtain finally fell on Mbale Heroes’ brief and troubled return to the top flight.
A solitary strike from Norman Boniface Odipio in the 27th minute was enough to seal a 1-0 victory for visiting Maroons, mathematically ending Heroes’ survival hopes.
Promoted just last May after 17 years in the wilderness, Mbale’s season quickly unravelled on and off the pitch.
Beset by administrative infighting, coaching instability, and reports of unpaid players, the Eastern Uganda side won just two matches all season.
Their latest defeat was their 20th in 26 games, confirming a bottom-place finish with a meagre 10 points too far adrift to mount a late escape.
- Express sink Bright Stars further into trouble
Elsewhere, Express FC handed Bright Stars a potentially fatal blow with a narrow 1-0 win at Kavumba Recreation Ground.
Daniel Shabene’s stunning second-half goal proved the difference as the visitors climbed to 9th on the log with 36 points.
Bright Stars, though lively early on, could not capitalize on their chances. They now sit precariously in 15th, seven points behind Mbarara City with only four matches left.
A miraculous turnaround is needed to avoid following Mbale into the FUFA Big League.
- NEC leave it late in Mbarara
At Kakyeka Stadium, NEC FC kept their title hopes alive with a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Mbarara City.
Allan Mugalu gave NEC the lead in the 58th minute, only for Seiri Arigumaho to equalize in the 86th minute. But defender Jacob Okao emerged as the unlikely hero, capitalizing on a poor clearance deep into stoppage time to secure all three points.
The win keeps NEC five points behind table-toppers Vipers, setting up a nail-biting final stretch.
Mbarara, still mired in the relegation fight, remain just above the drop zone in 13th with 23 points.
- URA, SC Villa share the spotlight
At Nakivubo’s Hamz Stadium, two giants of Ugandan football, URA and SC Villa played out a 1-1 draw. Laban Tibiita struck early for URA but the Jogoos hit back through Simon Kato Ssemayange with 17 minutes to go.
URA stay fourth with 43 points while Villa remain seventh with 38. Both sides still hold faint hopes of pushing higher but will rue missed opportunities in a tightly packed table.
Elsewhere, Kitara drew goalless with Wakiso Giants who also hope to keep their survival hopes alive.
