)
The 2023/24 StarTimes Uganda Premier League season kicked off with a bang over the weekend.
About twelve goals were scored by 11 different scores as all the teams apart from URA won away. We look at some of the talking points from match day one;
1. Defending champions have more work to do
The defending champions, Vipers Sports Club, were off to a winning start but not convincing enough.
)
09:51 - 18.09.2023
UPL The win is what mattered most, Vipers coach says after overcoming battle-hardened Gaddafi
The Brazilian was under pressure as rumours suggested he was on his exit route after the club parted ways with two of his compatriots, Rodrigues Giancarlo and Luiz Otavio, barely three months after signing them following their early exit in the CAF Champions League.
Two early goals by Milton Karisa and league debutant Mohammed Saleem were enough to do the ultimate job, but coach Leo Neiva must’ve spotted some gaps that urgently need patching.
)
“They started strongly in the first 15 minutes, but after that, we took control. The second half was not very good for us, but the boys resisted well and picked the three points,” Neiva admitted.
2. Soldier Boys exude confidence
)
While Vipers have some work to do if they’re to defend their title, the Soldier Boys flashed some glimpses of hope to their fans.
Coach David Mutono’s work could be seen with the team playing a completely different style to what they were akin to during Wasswa Bbosa’s reign.
Gaddafi looked the better and hungrier side with man-of-the-match Amos Kirya and Rashid Mpaata running the show, but their attacking partners Johnson Odong and Benson Muhindo didn’t match up.
Their new goalkeeper, Denis Ochieng, could easily be blamed for the two goals, but Mutono defended him by stating that the team is currently operating at 65 percent.
3. Newcomers join the away party
It was quite a unique opening day, with six of the seven matches ending with a win for the travelling teams. Wakiso Giants continued their poor, unwanted tradition of losing the opening match with the biggest loss of the day, losing 3-0 to Maroons at home.
Kitara beat SC Villa 2-1 on Friday in a typical Brian Ssenyondo-ball. The fans turned up for the match in numbers.
They enjoyed some good football as Ssenyondo breathed life into some players who had been discarded by other clubs, like Frank Tumwesigye and Livin Kabon.
)
Last season’s FUFA Big League top scorer Denis Omedi grabbed the chance to steal the limelight with the opening goal of the season on his Kitara and league debut.
NEC also managed to scrap all the three points away to fellow newcomers Mbarara City but that win was overshadowed by the licensing mess that has now become part of the match day one routine talk.
The kick-off was delayed by about half an hour as the Ankole Lions waited for licenses to be cleared on match day.
)
08:52 - 16.09.2023
UPL How NEC FC rode on Mbarara City’s licensing troubles to win UPL opener
Right back Joseph Dhata’s header in the 51st minute turned out to be the winner as the visitors withered the storm in the second half.
Gaddafi had several players missing due to registration issues, as was for Garvin Kizito and SC Villa.
5. Tax Collectors stuck at their junction
URA FC lived to their ‘draw-masters’ tag with an opening goalless draw at UPDF. The side that has registered the greatest number of draws in the Uganda Premier League for the past five seasons has started 2023/24 on the same rhythm.
For context, URA has drawn 54 games in the league since the 2018/19 season and registered the most number for the 2018/19 (15 draws), 2019/20 (10) and 12 last season, respectively.
The records spread across Sam Ssimbwa, Simeone Masaba (interim), the late Sam Timbe and now Fred Muhumuza’s reigns.
)
Even when Lady Luck distributed free goodies to away teams, only the Tax Collectors were stuck at their junction.
So, as the club searches for a new coach, they should pray hard to get one who has the magic to turn the draws into wins, for as they gain one, the team loses two!
Feel free to add yours in our social media comment sections here: PULSE SPORTS
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)