PREVIEW: WAKISO GIANTS V NEC

We travel to Wakisha – Kabaka Kyabaggu Stadium to take on Wakiso Giants in Matchday 22 with our sights set on securing maximum points. This win would potentially propel us to either the second position if Kitara wins, narrow the gap to three points behind the table leaders if BUL wins, or allow us to tie on points with BUL at 40 points and reduce the deficit to the table leaders to four points in the event of a draw between Kitara and BUL in their fixture in Masindi.

The reverse fixture ended in a 1-1 draw after Ssebaggala’s bullet header leveled the scoreline. Wakiso Giants had taken an early lead at the MTN Omondi Stadium before Ssebaggala’s goal restored parity.

Form guide

Since the restart of the second round, we have played 6 games, winning 4, drawing once, and losing once. This form saw us complete a double over three teams: Busoga United, Mbarara City, and Maroons, while failing to complete a double over both UPDF and KCCA, against whom we drew and were defeated, respectively. However, during the same spell, we beat Gaddafi, who had inflicted much pain on us in the first round. We secured a 1-0 victory against them at their home base in Jinja.

On the other hand, Wakiso Giants have had a mixture of results. They have won twice, drawn once, and lost thrice, falling to Bright Stars, Kitara, and most recently suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat to Vipers. Notably, they shifted and hosted the game at St. Mary’s Stadium in Kitende instead of their usual venue, Kabaka Kyabaggu Stadium.

What Mbalangu says

“The mood in the camp is very good; we are very happy and looking forward to this game. Even our Sudanese internationals are coming back after qualifying for the group stages of AFCON, so they return with that experience to further boost our already good mood,” noted Mbalangu regarding the atmosphere within the team.

“We’re facing a formidable team with a skilled coach and players who presented us with a significant challenge in our previous encounter. Despite the outcome, we’re eager to improve and secure maximum points this time around.

For us, our focus is solely on the next game. We approach each match with the determination as if it were a title-decider. Our mindset remains unchanged; we give our all, treating every game as our title. Once this match is over, we shift our attention to the next one.

It’s crucial to remember that the Championship goes to the team that accumulates the most points. Our strategy is clear: we’re focused on taking it one game at a time.”

Team News

The team is boosted by Atendele, who comes back from suspension, while Samson Kiirya is also back after being sidelined with a shoulder injury. Odongo Gideon is also back fully fit after suffering a knock against Maroons. The services of in-form Allan Mugalu and Kiyemba Ibrahim will be dearly missed as they serve their one-game suspension. The rest of the squad is available for selection.