League resumes

By Peter Ekarot and Leo Kabunga EXPRESS, KCC and SC Villa are pitted against tough opposition in their opening games this weekend as the Nile Special Super league re-starts. The second round is slated to kick off on Friday according to the National Football League Committee boss Godfrey Kwizera after a meeting tomorrow that would approve the fixtures. Express will host SCOUL at Namboole on Friday while KCC faces Simba at Namboole and Villa travels to unpredictable side, Mbale Heroes, both games on Saturday. "The top three will all be action this weekend. The league fixtures are ready, however NFLC meets on Tuesday to approve and have them released officially on Wednesday for Friday's kick-off," said Kwizera. "We had to rest for a month to give way to Sportsman Kakungulu Cup and Hedex Cup games to reduce on the backlog," added Kwizera. Masaka LC will host youngest coach Charles Ayiekho's Horizon in Masaka in other league games fixed for this weekend. Meanwhile, sources in the the league committee said some league games earlier scheduled for Nakivubo stadium could be moved to Mandela National Stadium, Namboole. "The reason is that Nakivubo stadium stopped some of the Sportsman Kakungulu cup games without informing NFLC in time. So we may turn all Nakivubo games to Namboole," said NFLC source. Villa beaten 1-0 by KCC in Saturday's Coronation cup, finished top of the league with 36 points, four more than KCC and Express that collected 30 is third. At the same time, Military Police will host Mbarara United in Hedex elimination round on Friday at Nakivubo. The fixtures sub committee comprises of Bwire, Edward Luyimbazi, Chuni Kyeyune "Cowboy", Peter Wasula and Patrick Isiagi. Nile Special brand, the Nile Breweries Limited flagship product and four other sponsors MTN, Shell, BAT and Coca Cola injected into the 2001 soccer season sh 240m. Each club in the 15- club premier league got two sets of uniforms, boots, 20 balls and cash cheques raised from sh 5m in the previous years to sh7m this year. Ends