As the Uganda Premier League enters its final bend, an under-the-radar but emotionally charged Kampala derby takes center stage on Wednesday evening, with SC Villa welcoming KCCA FC in a clash where pride, legacy, and redemption mean more than table rankings.
For the record champions SC Villa, it’s been a turbulent few weeks marked by a winless streak stretching three matches.
But the return of key figures, the dynamic David Owori, sturdy Arnold Odong, and versatile Godfrey Lubangakene could inject renewed belief into the Jogoos camp.
The trio, previously sidelined through injury, is expected to bolster a side desperate to end a five-year hoodoo against their historic rivals.
Villa currently sit eighth on the log with 38 points, and a positive result at home would see them climb above the visitors into fifth.
However, that will require a complete performance against a KCCA side that has quietly pieced together a strong run of form, four victories on the bounce, including a Uganda Cup semifinal first-leg win over Kataka.
KCCA’s recent surge has been driven by the resurgence of frontman Sadat Anaku and the return to fitness of defender Mustafa Mujjuzi.
Nonetheless, there are still question marks over the availability of Congolese forward Etienne Katenga and experienced striker Derrick Nsibambi, both facing late fitness tests.
The first round encounter at Lugogo ended all square, with a flurry of second-half goals from Anaku and SC Villa’s teenage sensation Patrick Kakande, who remains a doubt for this tie.
Adding a subplot to this city rivalry is the intriguing battle on the touchline: former KCCA tactician Morley Byekwaso now calls the shots at Villa Park, while Jackson Magera once at the helm of SC Villa now plots against his old employers from the Kasasiro Boys’ bench.
The two storied clubs boast 30 league crowns between them, with Villa leading the count at 17. Yet, despite the historical weight, this matchup is more about current momentum, unfinished business, and emotional bragging rights than silverware.
Elsewhere on the same day, title-chasing Vipers will play host to relegation-threatened Mbale Heroes, while NEC look to keep their top-four hopes alive when they take on BUL at Lugogo.
Leave feedback about this