KCCA FC see off bogey side Mbarara City in the UPL

FOOTBALL   UGANDA PREMIER LEAGUE

KCCA 1 Mbarara City 0

KCCA FC beat Mbarara City 1-0 on Wednesday to register their first victory over the latter in six matches at the StarTimes Uganda Premier League at Lugogo.

The last five matches between the two sides ended in draws with Mbarara winning the corresponding fixture at home last November.

The defending champions started the game at a low pace with Mbarara dominating most of the first half, but they managed to step up with the introduction of Filbert Obenchan and Hassan Musana for Joseph Kafumbe and Musa Ramathan at start of the second half.

This gave KCCA more confidence and it paid off with Obenchan heading in from Nicholas Kasozi's corner at the near post in the 50^th minute. KCCA piled more pressure with relentless attacks but remained wasteful.

The victory helped them move to 35 points in second, one point below leaders Vipers SC who are yet to play in the second round. Mbarara City remains eighth with 19 points.

Post-match, an excited KCCA FC coach Mutebi credited Brian Ssenyondo's team for a good defending structure that made it hard for his side to score goals.

"Mbarara was good, very disciplined but the boys broke the deadlock and we got the goal. We didn't play as we should have but it is good that we won," he stated.

In an angry tone, Mutebi dismissed transfer speculations surrounding his two players Mustafa Kizza and Allan Okello. He said the two players, are still contracted KCCA FC players and that he doesn't want to hear any more of the loose talk.

"Kizza and Okello are still contracted players at KCCA. Stop that grapevine talk," he roared.

Mbarara Coach Ssenyondo said that his side's defeat was a result of poor fitness levels for his players.

"Our players were not fit and I was not surprised that we lost possession especially in the second half they were tired," Ssenyondo admitted.

He also hailed KCCA coach for his early technical decisions of introducing Obenchan and Musana early in the second half which changed the game.

"We were better in the first half but the two substitutions he made changed the game. They were first on the ball and like I said our fitness levels were lacking," Ssenyondo said.