SC Villa ends first round without an away win after Kitara FC loss

Uganda Premier League

Yesterday Results

Mbarara City 0 KCCA 2

Kitara 1 SC Villa 0

Mbale Heroes 0 NEC 1

BUL  1 Wakiso Giants 1

SC Villa’s struggles away from home continued on Tuesday with a 1-0 defeat to Kitara FC at Royal Park in Butema, Hoima Oil City.

This loss marked the end of the first round of the Uganda Premier League, with the defending champions failing to secure a single away win in seven matches. Villa's tough run on the road included five losses and two draws.

The match seemed destined for a draw until the second minute of added time when Kitara substitutes Rogers Mugisha and Marvin Nyanzi combined to break Villa's hearts. Mugisha capitalized on a defensive mistake by Simon Ssemayange, skillfully dribbling past him before setting up Nyanzi.

Unmarked inside the six-yard box, Nyanzi calmly tapped the ball past goalkeeper Norman Angufindru to seal a dramatic late victory for the Royals.

For Villa, it was a bitter pill to swallow. Despite dominating the game, their lack of clinical finishing allowed Kitara to stay in the contest and capitalize on a rare opportunity.

Under-pressure Villa coach Morely Byekwaso and his team now face a tough task to defend their title. The Jogoos ended the first round in eighth place with 20 points, 14 behind leaders Vipers SC, who concluded their first-round games with a 1-0 home win against Maroons on Monday.

Meanwhile, Kitara's victory extended their unbeaten run to seven matches since their last loss to Bright Stars (1-0) in November. Head coach Wasswa Bbosa has transformed the Royals, who finished the first round in seventh place with 21 points. This is a significant improvement after a challenging start to the season, where they lost six of their opening eight matches.

Elsewhere, KCCA registered their first-ever league victory away against Mbarara City. KCCA had suffered two defeats and four draws in all six visits since the Ankole Lions' promotion in 2018. Second-half goals from Emmanuel Anyama and Etienne Katenga earned KCCA a 2-0 win at Kakyeka Stadium. The result lifts KCCA to third place with 27 points, seven behind Vipers in the title race.

At Mbale Municipal Stadium, Enock Ssebagala’s first-half strike secured a 1-0 victory for NEC FC over relegation-threatened Mbale Heroes. The win pushed NEC to second place with 33 points, just one behind Vipers at the top of the table.

With all 16 teams having completed 15 matches, the league now takes a break to allow the Uganda Cranes to prepare for the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN). The tournament will run from February 1-28 and will be co-hosted by Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.