By Victor Turinawe & Photo By Michael Ainomugisha.
The 2023-24 Runners Up of the Uganda University Pepsi League Uganda Christian University, UCU, suffers their first defeat of the 2024-25 Season at the expense of Kabale University by 1: 0.
UCU conceded the only goal of the game in the first half of the game five minutes after Allan Opio failed to convert the penalty to give them a lead in the 20th minute of the game. Despite the many chances they got, none of them were converted in the opponents’ net. Their loss today is the first in this season and now puts them in the last position of Group C with only two points having played three out of the six group stage games.
For Kabale University, their win was the first in this season through Stuart Atugonza in the 25th minute of the game, having lost one and drawn one game out of the six group stage games. They now sit in the second position in Group C with four points as they look forward to reviving their hopes of qualifying to the knockout stages having failed to achieve that last season.
According to UCU’s Head Coach Jimmy Kintu, they attributed their loss today to their failure to be clinical and convert their chances in front of their opponents’ box, having created eight chances in the normal time of the game. He also accepted the fact that his team was not lucky today saying that ” Today was one of our worst days as UCU since they started participating in this League ” , but emphasized that there is still a room for improvement with three other games left.
Expressing their joy and happiness Kabale University football team head coach Farouq Nsubuga also said that today’s win is what they have been craving and praying for all along in order to satisfy their fans’s hunger for a home win. He attributed it to a change in system and style of play by the team, saying that “their new formation of 4:3:3 gives them a chance to control penetration of the opponent into their box, especially when they are leading the game. He also acknowledged that this win has controlled pressure and demand from the fans, supporters, and stakeholders of the university team.
