Goals from Cromwell and Wahab in both halves of the game set our first-ever semifinal in the Stanbic Uganda Cup, thanks to Okocha’s precisely flying assist and Kavuma’s drive resulting in a penalty.
What happened:
We opened the scoring just two minutes into the game with a desire to win and progress, with Cromwell looping the goalkeeper. However, we couldn’t score again until the second half when Kavuma Marvin, with fresh legs on the pitch, was brought down in the area. Gadafi Wahab stepped up, took, and scored to seal a comfortable two-goal lead, sending us into the semifinals.
How it happened:
The match kicked off with a beautiful display of teamwork from Mugalu and Okocha, setting the stage for Cromwell to loop the ball over the goalkeeper and open the scoring just two minutes into the game. Okocha had a chance to double the lead shortly after, but his effort lacked power and was cleared for a corner.
Despite several promising opportunities, including a well-executed corner from Wahab that was cleared for another corner, the first half ended with NEC holding onto a slim 1-0 lead.
At the restart, Kimwero replaced Ssesaazi. This breathed a new dimension in the middle of the pack. With good moves upfront, Okocha was fouled on the edge of the box, but Wahab’s resulting free kick was dealt with effectively by the Police defense. Kavuma was introduced into the game, adding fresh energy to our attack replacing Okocha
We continued to press forward. Mugalu was fouled at the edge of the box and Kavuma stepped and took a with precision, meeting Kasibante in the goal who punched out the ball for a corner. The second half breakthrough came when Kavuma was brought down in the box, earning us a penalty. Gadafi Wahab stepped up and calmly converted the penalty to double our lead.
As the match entered the final minutes, Thembo, Ssebaggala, and Kayanja were brought on as substitutes replacing Wahab, Mugalu and Dhata. Despite five additional minutes of play, wecouldn’t add to their lead, with Rwothomio missing two close-range chances created by Kavuma.
In the end, our dominant performance secured a well-deserved 2-0 victory over Police FC, sealing our place in the Stanbic Uganda Cup semifinals.
What it means:
We set a double header of a semifinal with a yet to be known opponent.
What next:
We are regrouping for matchday24 in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League when we pay a visit to Kabaka Kyabaggu Stadium in Wakiso against URA FC on Tuesday 16, April 2024.
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