IVAN AHIMBISIBWE GOAL STREAK FIRES KCCA FC BACK TO LEAGUE SUMMIT
Ivan Ahimbisibwe scores again as KCCA FC beats Mbarara City 2-1 to go top of the Uganda Premier League. The win marks coach Brian Ssenyondo's successful return.
KCCA is back on top of the Uganda Premier League in the 2025/26 season.
They grabbed a tough 2-1 win against Mbarara City in their Friday game in Kamwenge.
Ivan Ahimbisibwe is quickly becoming a key player for KCCA FC. He scored in his second game in a row, helping his team beat Mbarara City FC 2-1 on Thursday at Rwamwanja Stadium in Kamwenge District.
This win puts KCCA in first place in the Uganda Premier League (UPL) with 17 points after eight games. They're one point ahead of SC Villa, who play champions Vipers SC on Saturday at St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende.
Herbert Achayi scored first for KCCA in the 16th minute, but Mbarara City tied it up 10 minutes later with a goal from Muhammad Kanyike. Then, Ahimbisibwe scored the winning goal five minutes into the second half, keeping up his hot streak.
The striker also scored twice in KCCA’s last game, a 2-1 victory over URA at Omondi Stadium, Lugogo. He now has five goals in eight games since joining the Kasasiro Boys at the start of the season. Last season, he had 16 goals for the Tax Collectors.
Thursday’s game was also head coach Brian Ssenyondo's return to KCCA. He had been in Qatar for a month, leading the Uganda Cubs to the Round of 16 at the U17 FIFA World Cup, which was the country’s first time at a FIFA World Cup competition.
For Mbarara City, this was their fifth loss in eight games. The Ankole Lions are still near the bottom in 16th place with only five points.
PROSCOVIA ALAKO SHINES, UGANDA VICTORIA PEARLS FALLS SHORT AGAINST DETERMINED DUTCH
Uganda Victoria Pearls lost to the Netherlands in the Emerging Nations Cup but showed potential with their best batting performance (111/6). They finished sixth overall.
The Uganda Victoria Pearls couldn't quite clinch a victory against the Netherlands, who were determined to win the Emerging Nations Cup.
Even though they lost, the Victoria Pearls can be proud of their best batting performance in the whole tournament. Uganda kept the same team lineup as before. The Dutch won the coin toss and chose to let Uganda bat first.
Esther Iloku was out quickly. Captain Janet Mbabazi seemed to be playing well, but she was unfortunately dismissed when a ball rolled onto her stumps. By the end of the power play, Uganda was at 26/2.
Proscovia Alako (34 not out) and Stephanie Nampiina (21) helped Uganda make good progress. Alako scored 19 runs in the last over, pushing the total to 111/6 in 20 overs.
During the chase, the Dutch team started aggressively. Kevin Amuge made a breakthrough in the first over but then allowed two boundaries.
Consy Aweko also took a wicket, but that was all the Victoria Pearls could manage. The Netherlands scored 51 during the power play, with Babette De Leede (17) and Sterre Kallis (32) putting pressure on the Ugandan bowlers.
Even with two more wickets falling, the Dutch secured the win in under 15 overs. This fifth win secured them a spot in the top four at the tournament.
The Victoria Pearls batted well, but it wasn't enough. They showed some promise, hinting at the team's potential. Alako displayed her hitting abilities, with especially strong ground strokes at the end.
Uganda ended the tournament with two wins and finished in sixth place, just ahead of the other two African teams. This shows they still have much to improve to catch up with the other teams.
This event happens every year, and when it returns in 2026, they should have learned from their mistakes and be ready to get more wins. The losses against the top teams showed them how much work they need to do to close the gap. A lot has been done with the team, but there's still more to do.
UGANDA PREMIER LEAGUE: VIPERS, VILLA BATTLE TO FIERCE 1-1 DRAW
Vipers and SC Villa fought to a 1-1 draw in the Uganda Premier League. The result stopped Villa's 5-game winning streak, tying them with KCCA at 17 points.
Vipers and SC Villa fought to a 1-1 draw on Saturday at St. Mary's Stadium in Kitende. Both teams seemed okay with a point, even though it stopped Villa's five-game win streak. Now, they're tied with KCCA at the top with 17 points.
Vipers are also moving up, sitting in fourth place. Their own winning streak ended at four, leaving them with 13 points, but they have three games in hand.
Villa could have scored early when Hassan Mubiru stole the ball from Vipers' Kevin DaSylva Bady. But instead of shooting, he passed, and the chance was wasted.
Vipers had a chance too, but Villa's goalie, David Lukwago, saved Karim Watambala's shot.
The first half didn't have many exciting moments. Villa couldn't capitalise on Vipers' struggles to move the ball out of their own end under Villa's pressure.
Later, Vipers' Yunus Sentamu shot wide when passing might have been the better choice.
The game picked up in the second half. Villa went ahead in the 68th minute when Frank Ssebuufu headed in a cross.
But the Vipers tied it up five minutes later. Okello passed to Usama Arafat, who scored the equaliser.
Late in the game, Villa's Sula Matovu was sent off for arguing with the referee, who had a tough day, along with her assistants.