Uganda Premier League 

SC Villa 1 Express 0

UPDF 2 Busoga 0

Gaddafi 0 NEC 1

Sunday

Wakiso Giants v Vipers 

Charles Lwanga's 21st-minute strike was the difference at the Muteesa II Stadium in Wankulukuku on Saturday as SC Villa completed a league double over bitter rivals Express.

Lwanga capitalised after Express defenders failed to clear Joseph Kafumbe's cross, emphatically finding the back of the net with a right-footed finish. 

Express under new head coach Abubaker Mbowa who succeeded Alex Isabirye four days ago, were the better side in the opening half but were not clinical enough to trouble the Jeans Wokorach between the sticks for Villa. 

Isaac Wagoina, Hussein Ssenoga and John Asiiimwe all had goal-bound attempts for Express but were comfortably dealt with by Wokorach.

Express' Musa (left) contests the ball with Sc Villa's Charles Lwanga during a UPL match at Wankulukuku, March 9, 2024. Villa won 1-0.

Villa were well aware that victory would send them fourth with two games in hand, cutting the gap to leaders Kitara to seven points, and jealously guarded their lead despite waves of pressure from Express for long spells in the game.

Villa were missing three key players; Patrick Kakande, Arnold Odongo and Gavin Kizito. 

Kakande is without any doubt Villa's best player so far in this campaign but he is away with the Uganda Hippos team taking part in the Africa Games. 

Kizito and Odongo were both serving a one-match suspension for accumulated yellow cards. 

Express on the other hand also missed the services of Alpha Ssali who is also part of the Hippos team in Ghana. 

At full-time, Villa’s head coach Dusan Stojanovic was a satisfied man with the performance of his troops. 

"It was tough in the first half, got tougher in the closing minutes of the second half, but most importantly we held on to get the three points," he said.

"We missed Patrick and Arnold but the players that came in for them did a good job, I am happy for the performance," said the Serbian tactician.

For Express, Mbowa's assistant Suleiman Mutyaba was happy with what they saw from their side and believes that within a short period of time, the team is going to improve. 

"It is a defeat, we cannot run away from that but as coaches, we are happy with the performance of the team, only five days on the job. 

There are still plenty of things to fix but today has given us hope that they will get to the shape we want them to be in a short period of time," said Mutyaba. 

The result leaves Express eighth on the table with 29 points from 20 games. 

Away from Wankulukuku, Hussein Mbalangu's NEC continued to enjoy a good start to life in the top-flight after overcoming Gaddafi 1-0 through Cromwell Rwothomio's goal away in Jinja to move to third place on the table with 34 points. 

At Bombo Military Barracks, UPDF boosted their slim relegation survival chances after beating fellow strugglers Busoga United by 2-0 thanks to Brian Kalumba and Ezekel Katende's goals. 

On Friday, Kitara and BUL, first and second on the table, dropped points in their respective away games against URA and Maroons to remain separated by one point at the top.

Sunday’s action sees defending champions Vipers and Wakiso Giants meet at St Mary’s Stadium in a floodlit affair.