Uganda Premier League | Thursday | MD 23
- Police vs Mbarara City – Kavumba | 4 PM
- SC Villa vs Mbale Heroes – Wankulukuku | 4 PM
- NEC vs Kitara – Lugogo | 7 PM
Matia Lule’s latest chapter in Ugandan football begins under the harsh spotlight of a relegation scrap, as he takes charge of Police FC for the first time against Mbarara City at Kavumba Recreation Grounds on Thursday.
Appointed as interim head coach, Lule inherits a side teetering dangerously close to the drop zone with just five points separating them from the dreaded bottom three.
And if there’s a baptism by fire, this is it, facing a fellow relegation-threatened team in a match that may shape the fate of both clubs’ survival hopes.
Mbarara City, no strangers to the grind of the lower end of the table, arrive in Kavumba just as desperate. Neither side has the luxury of slipping up and with pressure mounting, Lule’s tactical acumen and motivational prowess will be put to immediate test. His mission, stabilize a leaking ship and guide the Cops to safety in the remaining stretch of the season.
While all eyes in Kavumba will be on Lule’s debut, across the league, other clubs are chasing different kinds of redemption.
In Wankulukuku, SC Villa are out for revenge against a Mbale Heroes side that stunned them 1-0 in just their second game of the campaign at the Mbale Stadium. That defeat set a tone of inconsistency that has plagued the Jogoos all season.
With only one away win and a yawning 22-point gap behind table-topping Vipers, Villa’s title defense has all but crumbled. Now 8th with 30 points, they face a Mbale side rooted to the bottom with just 10 points and seemingly destined for the drop, yet still capable of an upset.
At Lugogo, second-placed NEC take on Kitara in what could be a title-defining clash. NEC won the reverse fixture 2-1, but Kitara are riding high after dismantling KCCA 4-0 in their last outing.
Revenge is firmly on Kitara’s agenda as they look to erase memories of early-season struggles. NEC, meanwhile, are just four points off the summit and could cut that gap to a single point with a win.
