By the evening of Wednesday, March 27, Uganda Premier League side, Bul FC had arrived in Masindi. They decided to travel early in order to prepare for their top of the table clash with Kitara FC, that will be played on Friday, March 29 at the Masindi Municipal stadium, 4pm.
The clash which will be broadcast live on Sanyuka Prime television is a significant one in the grand scheme of things. It is expected to go a long way in determining where the 2023/24 title ends up. With both Kitara and Bul having played 21 league games thus far, they have seven to go. But they are separated by four points, with Kitara on 43 and Bul on 39.
Essentially, there is little room for error as far as Bul are concerned, if they are to keep their title ambitions alive. However, for Bul coach, Bogere Kikomeko, his perspective to the current situation, which has his team under enormous pressure going into the game with Kitara, is that they have their fate in their own hands.
Bul ended the first round of the season top of the league standings, and for many, they were among the favourites to win the ultimate prize. Yet, of late, they are a far cry from the team that beat SC Villa, Vipers SC, and KCCA FC in the first round.
Kikomeko said: “It is true that our second round performances pale in comparison with those in the first round. Out of our six second round fixtures, we have only managed one win and three draws. That is not good form. Of course we have been affected by injuries to key players. That has destabilized our team.”
Indeed, with key players like lead striker, Alex Kitatta being out for over half of the second round games (only returned for the last two defeats against UPDF FC and SC Villa), then winger Reagan Kalyowa, Nicholas Mwere, Douglas Muganga, and then Pascal Ngobi, who just got back recently, Bul have been short-handed.
“We do not have a big squad, so one major absentee has affected us in more ways than we could have imagined. Nonetheless, I have told the players not to let such situations define our season. A little more effort from everyone, can make up for the absentees,” Kikomeko added.
The former Busoga United man continued that as a unit, he does not feel that they have taken it upon themselves to be more responsible during key moments in games. Kikomeko noted that there have been moments in the second round, when his charges have not been ruthless enough, to kill off teams.
In light of that, some have suggested that Kikomeko and his boys are cracking under the pressure, which happens to teams not used to being on top of the league. While Kikomeko does not deny the fact that his charges not having much league winning experience is key to consider, the fact that they recently won the Super 8 cup, in which they slayed giants, that has given them guts.
He added that most of the players he has, won the Stanbic Uganda Cup in 2022. Yet, without dwelling much on the past, Kikomeko said, they have an opportunity to make up for lost points. “We missed a chance to go top of the league, when we failed to beat UPDF. Then we missed a penalty against Villa, and failed to pick up a vital point from a game, which played for long spells against 10 men. The players all realize how we have let ourselves down, which makes the game against Kitara a must-win for us,” Kikimeko said.
That said, Kikomeko is in no doubt that they can beat Kitara for the second time this season. While he does not overlook the fact that they have quality players in Dennis Omedi, Brian Ahebwa and Jude Ssemugabi among others, what is most important in such tough games, is character, spirit, determination, and a willingness to fight.
“My players are ready to give it everything because we all know that once we get the result we need from this game, we will be right back in the title conversation. We as Bul, cannot let such an opportunity pass us by. It is our dream to be champions, and I think we still can,” Kikomeko.
By and large, after the Kitara game, Bul will have one more big fixture, which will be against Vipers. A win over Kitara would get them to within one point of Kitara, who also, still have to host Vipers.
Notably, as Bul continue to struggle with their ghosts, that have caused them a lack of esteem in recent games, one fact that they can draw confidence from is that at the Masindi stadium, is where they won their first major trophy, the 2022, Stanbic Uganda Cup.
That 3-1 victory against a high flying Vipers then, was absolutely out of this world. A similar performance against Kitara would probably also be equated to being out of this world. Kikomeko would welcome it fondly because it is what they did to get their 2023/24 title ambitions back on track.
