Tuesday, 18 August 2026 | Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo | 7:00 pm EAT
The Diehards are set for a high-stakes evening against our friendly neighbours KCCA FC in the FUFA Super 8 Final at Hamz Stadium. Under the stewardship of Coach Badru Kaddu, we arrive in strong form after a determined Super 8 campaign and with a clear edge from recent Uganda Premier League meetings.
Strong Super 8 Campaign under Coach KB
Coach KB’s side has shown real character throughout this year’s Super 8. We advanced from the two-legged Round 1 with a 3-2 aggregate win over UPPC, having drawn the first leg 1-1 before winning the second leg 2-1 thanks to Basangwa’s brace, and then produced a superb second-half comeback to defeat defending champions SC Villa 3-1 in the semi-final.
That result in the semi-final was sweet revenge for last year’s final loss, when SC Villa beat us 2-0 to claim the trophy at our expense. It booked us a second consecutive Super 8 final appearance and underlines the squad’s resilience and belief.
Head-to-Head Highlights – Recent UPL Encounters
In the key league meetings, NEC FC have taken the bigger share of the results. The most recent clash on 13 February 2026 saw us claim a convincing 3-1 home victory. Richard Basangwa announced himself in style on his NEC debut with a brilliant brace; 22nd and 74th minutes, while Joseph Seremba restored the lead with a superb strike (71st minute, with KCCA having equalized through Ivan Ahimbisibwe who is no longer at the club.
Other recent league encounters include:
12 December 2025 – KCCA FC 2-1 NEC FC
13 February 2025 – NEC FC 1-0 KCCA FC
21 November 2024 – KCCA FC 0-1 NEC FC
28 February 2024 – NEC FC 0-3 KCCA FC
26 October 2023 – KCCA FC 0-2 NEC FC
Overall, we hold the advantage with four wins to KCCA’s two across these meetings.
Key Players to Watch
Richard Basangwa has been a major threat since joining. He announced himself at NEC FC with that debut brace against KCCA and has continued in the same vein this Super 8 campaign, already netting three goals; including a brace against UPPC. His movement, finishing, energy, skills and presence will be central to our hopes tonight.
Hakim Wandera has been exceptional, delivering dangerous crosses and set-pieces that have directly contributed to goals notably in the Villa semi-final. Enrique Lubwama is expected to stitch the midfield together as he did so effectively against SC Villa, providing energy and control in the engine room. We will be looking for the best out of every player named by Coach KB.
On the KCCA side, Saidi Mayanja remains a constant threat and must be carefully marked. Shafik Nana Kwikiriza has shown impressive improvement over time and is another player we will need to deal with effectively.
This final offers the chance to go one better than last season’s runners-up finish and claim the Super 8 title. Focus, intensity and collective performance will be key.
Kick-off is at 7 pm. Let’s go and get the job done. Come on you Diehards.