NEC booked their place in the Stanbic Uganda Cup quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Lugazi at MTN Omondi Stadium on Tuesday, extending their unbeaten run to 14 matches in all competitions.
First-half goals from Gideon Odongo and Samuel Ssekamatte settled the tie inside eight minutes, giving NEC full control early and allowing them to manage the contest with minimal threat from the visitors.
Odongo opened the scoring in the sixth minute, rising to meet Hakim Wandera’s corner with a powerful header that beat the Lugazi goalkeeper.
Two minutes later, the lead was doubled when Emmanuel Kulanga picked out Ssekamatte, who finished calmly to make it 2-0 and effectively decide the tie before the game had settled.
NEC remained on top for the rest of the first half, restricting Lugazi to limited opportunities while continuing to threaten. Tonny Atukunda came close to adding a third in the 38th minute, forcing a save from the Lugazi goalkeeper.
The second half saw NEC focus on control and game management. Changes at the break introduced fresh legs, with James Jarieko and Allan Mugalu coming on, and the hosts maintained their intensity while limiting Lugazi’s attacking openings.
Jarieko nearly extended the lead midway through the half, first seeing his header cleared off the line before sending another effort narrowly over the bar. Further substitutions helped maintain structure, and despite a yellow card for Atukunda, NEC were rarely troubled defensively.
The result also completes a third win over Lugazi this season across all competitions, reinforcing NEC’s dominance in the fixture and their growing momentum in both league and cup competitions.
NEC now advance to the quarter-finals of the Uganda Cup for only the second time in their history and will await the draw for the next round, with attention set to return to league action against URA when the season resumes in April.
