Mbalangu’s URA face stern test against champions Vipers

Uganda Premier League 

Saturday, 4pm
Express v Buhimba
NEC v Kitara 
Mbarara v Lugazi 

At 8pm
URA v Vipers

URA FC head coach Hussein Mbalangu faces another demanding examination in his early days at the club when the Tax Collectors host defending champions Vipers SC at Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo, on Saturday night.

Mbalangu, who replaced Alex Isabirye in December, is still searching for his first Uganda Premier League victory after a frustrating 1-0 home defeat to Entebbe UPPC last Tuesday.

Despite dominating large spells of that contest, URA were undone by poor finishing and defending concerns the new coach must urgently address.

The visit of in-form Vipers offers little respite. The Venoms arrive at Nakivubo riding a three-match winning streak, having dispatched Mbarara City (2-0), Lugazi FC (2-1) and BUL FC (3-1), and remain locked in a fierce title race.

URA sit 12th on the table with 11 points from 12 matches, and with Mbalangu on a short-term contract until the end of the season, the task is clear: improve performances and steer the club away from relegation danger to get a permanent contract. 

Speaking ahead of the clash, Mbalangu remained optimistic.

“We are ready for Saturday’s big game. Vipers are a very good team, but we are also a good team. I have prepared the players well and I expect a positive result,” he said.

The tactician will draw confidence from last season, when he guided NEC FC to a second-place finish and pushed Vipers all the way in a title race decided by just two points.

For Vipers, victory is crucial to maintain their grip at the summit. The champions lead the table on 27 points, level with KCCA FC and Police FC, but ahead on head-to-head and goal difference.

However, Ivan Minnaert’s side will be without influential playmaker Allan Okello, who recently completed a move to Tanzanian giants Young Africans, leaving the Belgian coach with a key creative gap to fill.

Vipers completed a league double over URA last season, winning both meetings 2-0, a statistic that adds further intrigue to Saturday’s encounter.

Earlier at Nakivubo, Express FC will host Buhimba United Saints in a mid-table duel, with the sides separated by just one point. Express are 11th on 12 points, while Buhimba sit 10th with 13.

Elsewhere, NEC welcome Kitara FC at Lugogo’s Philip Omondi Stadium, while Lugazi FC travel to Rwamwanja Stadium to face Mbarara City in a relegation battle, with both sides level on 10 points.