Under the favourable weather of Mbale City Stadium, we put on a commanding display to secure our spot in the Round of 32 of the Stanbic Uganda Cup, thrashing UCU with a resounding 4-0 victory.
First Half:
The match began with NEC immediately setting the pace, displaying high intensity football. Early in the game, Jarieko had a golden opportunity after outpacing his marker, but his shot narrowly missed the target. The pressure continued, with Ajo finding the net, only for the referee to call it offside in the 13th minute.
We kept the momentum going; Kavuma’s powerful shot was parried by the UCU goalkeeper, only for the defense to clear. Jarieko was in the thick of things again, winning a free-kick which Wahab delivered into the box, but Jarieko’s header went just wide.
The breakthrough finally came in the 30th minute when Ajo, after a beautiful interplay with teammates, unleashed a precise shot past the keeper to open the scoring.
The floodgates were now open. In the dying minutes of the first half, Wahab’s corner kick found Jarieko, who made no mistake this time, doubling the lead. Just moments later, Mugalu added a third with leaving UCU stunned going into halftime with a 3-0 scoreline.
Second Half:
The second half saw us not letting our foot off the gas. Despite UCU’s attempts to regroup, our defense and midfield maintained control. A corner from Kawawulo led to a dangerous header by Bayiga, but it was punched away by UCU’s keeper. Kawawulo was shown a yellow card, highlighting the intensity of the match.
Substitutions came in, with Kulanga Emmanuel making an immediate impact with a near-goal attempt. The fresh legs of Okocha, Thembo, and Niwamanya added new energy to our squad.
The match took a slight pause when Mugalu was brought down injured, but Ssebaggala replaced him promptly. The icing on the cake was delivered by Niwamanya Dickson in the 87th minute, who scored our fourth goal from open play.
What next
Having qualified for the Round of 32, we shall be waiting for the draws to determine our next opponent during the Round of 32.