Lugazi FC dug in with admirable resilience to grind out a stubborn goalless draw against SC Villa in a Uganda Premier League clash played at FUFA Stadium, Kadiba on Saturday.
Riding high from a thumping 6-1 demolition of Mbarara City, the Jogoos arrived at Kadiba full of belief and intent, eager to string together another statement result.
But they ran into a well-drilled Lugazi side marshalled expertly by head coach Simon Peter Mugerwa, whose men executed a disciplined game plan to near perfection and walked away with a priceless point.
The visitors’ afternoon was dented early on when midfielder Derrick Mwanje was forced off with an injury midway through the first half, prompting an early reshuffle as Solomon Okwalinga was thrown into the fray.
Despite enjoying the lion’s share of possession and territorial advantage, SC Villa struggled to convert dominance into goals.
Forward Frank Ssebufu found himself at the heart of several promising moves but lacked the final touch, spurning multiple opportunities that could have tilted the contest in Villa’s favour.
In a bid to force the breakthrough, Villa head coach rolled the dice late on by introducing Charles Lwanga, hoping the added presence in the penalty area would finally breach Lugazi’s resistance.
However, the visitors’ defence stood firm, repelling wave after wave of pressure with composure and grit.
At the final whistle, Lugazi celebrated a hard-earned draw that felt like a victory, while SC Villa were left ruing missed chances.
The result leaves the record champions fourth on the standings with 30 points from 15 matches, while Lugazi remain 11th on the table on 15 points after the same number of games.
