StarTimes Uganda Premier league
Thursday, 8pm
Kyetume vs SC Villa, Namboole
The fans are ready, the coaches dream, administrators anticipate but most of all, the players are geared up to achieve their long time dreams as the 2019/20 StarTimes Uganda premier league kicks off.
The wait is over and it is the Faded record 16-time champions SC Villa and new comers Kyetume FC opening up the campaign this Thursday night at the Namboole stadium. It will be the first live TV game and the first to be played under flood lights this season.
SC Villa starts the season at the lowest, having been mute in the transfer period and losing their training grounds Villa Park. New coach Edward Kaziba has no quality befitting the record champions but fans will not be happy to see their side struggle as last season.
Jogoos finished 12th last term and waited until match day nine to get their first win of the campaign –the 1-0 away win at Nyamityobora at Wankulukuku courtesy of Bashir Mutanda 21st minute penalty. The win also came after guard of guard with Douglas Bamweyana replacing Moses Basena as head coach.
Kyetume meanwhile, are playing in their first premier league season having earned promotion last season through play-offs. The Slaughterers as commonly known, however, played as Lufula FC before getting relegated in the 1984 season –the year SC Villa were crowned champions. Kyetume under experienced George Nsimbe, a premier league and Uganda Cup winner, are targeting top ten finish to stay up in the debut season.
Nsimbe, who replaced Jackson Mayanja after the latter led the side to premier league, confirmed 16 new signings while SC Villa were yet to confirmed their squad by yesterday. Despite the disorganisation, Villa confirmed Asuman Alishe and Ambrose Kirya as the captain and assistant captain respectively.
“We are not going to top honors but we shall compete,” noted Nsimbe. Kyetume came in place of defunct Lufula FC that did not live beyond NRM Liberation war and this is the first time the two sides clash in a competitive match.
In the last five seasons, only one newly promoted side has managed to win on match day one and that was Jinja Municipal Council (JMC) Hippos in the 2015-16 season.
