Matchday 5 of the StarTimes Uganda Premier League (UPL) delivered an action-packed week with 18 goals scored across eight matches, shaking up the standings and bringing an end to one coaching tenure.
NEC emerged as the new league leaders with a crucial win, while Lugazi sacked head coach Sadick Sempigi after their continued winless run.
Teams across the board are pushing for early-season form, with dramatic results and draws defining this matchday.
Wednesday, October 16: Spoils and Stalemates
- Lugazi 1-1 Mbale Heroes
- Police 2-2 Express
The matchday kicked off with two tightly contested draws. Lugazi and Mbale Heroes played out a 1-1 stalemate at Lugazi Stadium in Najjembe.
Mbale, under newly appointed head coach Asaph Mwebaze, took the lead through Gideon Etou in the 10th minute after a goalkeeping error.
However, Derrick Mwanje’s 35th-minute header secured Lugazi’s first-ever UPL goal and a valuable point for the bottom-placed team.
The draw leaves Lugazi at the bottom of the table with two points from five matches, while Mbale Heroes sit 14th on four points after recording their first away point of the season.
Meanwhile, at Kavumba Recreation Grounds, Police and Express battled to an entertaining 2-2 draw.
Isaac Ogwang gave Police the lead, but Express quickly equalised and then went ahead through a brace from Sam Ssenyonjo.
However, Ogwang’s late penalty salvaged a point for Police, keeping them 7th on the table with seven points, while Express, now 5th, extended their winless away run, sitting on eight points with a -1 goal difference.
Thursday, October 17: Vipers Edge Closer to the Top
- Wakiso Giants 0-2 Vipers
At the Kabaka Kyabaggu Stadium, Vipers maintained their strong form under caretaker coach John Ayala Luyinda, registering a 2-0 win over Wakiso Giants.
Allan Okello converted a 34th-minute penalty, while Milton Karisa added a second goal in the 64th minute. This result sees Vipers move to 3rd with 10 points.
Wakiso Giants, on the other hand, find themselves 9th on the table with seven points, after their second defeat in five matches.
The result highlights Vipers’ growing confidence under Luyinda, who stepped in following the suspension of head coach Nikola Kavazovic, who was later sacked.
Friday, October 18: NEC, BUL secure critical wins, Drama at Villa Park
- NEC 2-1 Maroons
- URA 0-1 BUL
- SC Villa 2-2 Soltilo Bright Stars
- Mbarara City 1-1 Kitara
Friday was marked by a flurry of goals and crucial victories. NEC claimed the top spot in the UPL standings with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Maroons at the MTN Omondi Stadium, Lugogo.
After falling behind to an own goal by Jacob Okao in the 49th minute, NEC equalised through a Paul Mucureezi penalty before Muzamiru Mutyaba scored the winner in the 73rd minute.
This result propelled The Diehards to 12 points, putting them two clear of KCCA with a +4 goal difference.
In another match, BUL registered their first win of the season, beating URA 1-0 at Nakivubo Stadium thanks to a third-minute goal from Pascal Ngobi.
The victory lifted BUL to 12th place with five points, while URA, with seven points, now sit 6th on the table, showing signs of inconsistency despite early-season promise.
At Kakyeka, Mbarara City and Kitara played to a 1-1 draw, leaving Kitara without a win in now 4 consecutive games.
Mbarara City, with six points, are in 10th place, while Kitara’s four points keep them in 13th.
SC Villa, meanwhile, surrendered a 2-0 lead at home to draw 2-2 with Soltilo Bright Stars at Villa Park (Muteesa II Stadium) in Wankulukuku.
The defending champions, who are yet to find their rhythm this season, now sit in 8th place with seven points, while Bright Stars’ third draw of the season leaves them second from bottom with three points.
Saturday, October 19: KCCA Stunned by UPDF in Goalless Draw
- KCCA 0-0 UPDF
The final match of Matchday 5 saw KCCA miss the chance to reclaim top spot as they were held to a 0-0 draw by UPDF at their MTN Omondi Stadium in Lugogo.
Despite dominating much of the game, the Kasasiro Boys were frustrated by a resilient UPDF defense, leading to the only goalless match-up of the match day.
The result leaves KCCA second on the table with 11 points from five matches, trailing NEC by a single point.
UPDF, with eight points, move to 4th place and have only lost one game so far this season. Their solid start to the season has made them one of the surprise packages of the campaign thus far.
After Matchday 5, NEC lead the UPL standings with 12 points, followed closely by KCCA (11 points) and Vipers (10 points).
UPDF and Express, both on eight points, round up the top five. Express’ failure to capitalise on their lead against Police means they miss the chance to climb further, but they remain within striking distance of the top teams.
At the other end of the table, Lugazi’s struggles continue, as they sit at the bottom with just two points and a -5 goal difference.
Their 1-1 draw with Mbale Heroes proved to be the final straw for head coach Sadick Sempigi, who was sacked on Friday, and the club appointed Oliver Mbekeka as interim coach, making history as the first woman to lead a UPL team.
