UPL: Vipers and Villa hold firm as Maroons run riot over Express

Defending champions Vipers SC and record holders SC Villa safely negotiated a potentially tricky Wednesday as the StarTimes Uganda Premier League title race continued to gather momentum, following Tuesday successes for leaders KCCA and Police FC.

At Najjembe, Vipers were made to work hard before edging Lugazi 2-1 to remain firmly in pursuit of top spot. The Venoms struck early when Arafat Usama nodded home after Milton Karisa’s initial effort was spilled, Enock Luyima having supplied the danger from the left flank.

Although they dominated possession for large spells, the visitors had to wait until the 74th minute to find breathing space, Yunus Sentamu finishing clinically after neat work from Robin Kane.

Lugazi briefly threatened a late twist when Ashiraf Mulindi tapped in from David Bagoole’s pass in the 89th minute, but Vipers showed composure to see out the win. The Kitende side stay second on 24 points, two adrift of KCCA with a game in hand, while Lugazi remain third from bottom on 10.

Under the floodlights at FUFA Stadium, Kadiba, SC Villa also did just enough, squeezing past Calvary 1-0. The decisive moment came inside five minutes when Aslam Ssemakula calmly dispatched a penalty after captain Stephen Oriokot committed a foul in the area.

Villa enjoyed greater control, especially in the first half, but could not add to their lead despite several openings. Calvary battled bravely yet failed to breach Villa’s backline, leaving them rooted to the bottom with just three points from 11 matches. The Jogoos remain firmly in the title mix in third place on 23 points.

Earlier in the day, Maroons delivered the standout performance of the round, dismantling Express 4-0 at Luzira. Raymond Walugembe set the tone in the 26th minute with a header from Brian Nkuubi’s corner before Emmanuel Obua stole the show, scoring twice in quick succession to put the contest beyond doubt before the break.

Nkuubi then crowned an excellent display with a powerful stoppage-time strike following an Express mistake. Obua’s brace earned him Man of the Match as Maroons climbed to seventh on 15 points, three clear of the Red Eagles.

In Kamwenge, Mbarara City ground out a crucial 1-0 victory over URA, with Henry Kitegenyi converting a 61st-minute penalty to settle a tense affair.

The result marked only Mbarara’s second win of the season, lifting them out of the relegation zone to 13th on 10 points, while URA slipped to a fourth defeat in 11 matches and sit 10th on 11 points.

As the dust settles on a busy midweek, the title contenders remain tightly packed, while decisive results at both ends of the table continue to reshape the league narrative.

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