Entebbe UPPC may be debutants in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League, but the Abdallah Mubiru-Livingstone Mbabazi coaching axis is steadily transforming them into one of the early-season revelations.
Rebranded from Gaddafi and thrown into the unforgiving waters of topflight football, UPPC have responded with a maturity that belies their status as newcomers.
They sit fourth on the log with 10 points from six matches – already a commendable return – yet their performance graph and ambition suggest there is a lot more brewing inside the Bugonga camp.
Enviable dugout
Much of this upward trajectory stems from an experienced and unusually star-studded technical bench.
Head coach Mubiru, assistant Mbabazi, technical advisor Godfrey Walusimbi, and trainer Edward ‘Baino’ Ssali are all former Uganda Cranes players with deep tactical and developmental pedigree.
Their collective influence has not only imported structure and resilience into the team but also guided the evolution of a side intent on playing attractive, possession-based football – despite a home pitch that often betrays that ambition.
The Bugonga Fisheries Ground has already witnessed UPPC’s two league defeats – against Buhimba Saints and Vipers – but the performances, rather than the scorelines, have reassured both fans and coaches that the team’s ceiling is far from reached.
Mubiru and Mbabazi are demanding more, and the players have begun to mirror that hunger.
Point to prove
Veterans such as Rogers Omedwa, Ahmed Amayo, skipper Mustafa Mujjuzi, Hassan Ssenyonjo, Issa Bugembe, Julius Poloto, Steven Munguchi, Ambrose Kigozi, Denis Otim, Bright Vuni, Sam Kintu, Noordin Bunjo, Kokas Alou and Isa Mubiru bring invaluable top-flight experience – and a point to prove.
Many of them have been written off elsewhere; now they are channeling that sting into performances that have powered UPPC’s solid start.
Police, coached by Matia Lule, are second on the table with 11 points from six matches and are riding on the lethal form of Congolese striker Bedia Ikamba, who has already scored four times as they visit Bugonga today.
For UPPC to extend their momentum, their improving defence must first find a way to silence Ikamba and deny Police the transitions they thrive on. If they manage that, the Mubiru-Mbabazi approach – built on control, bravery, and fluidity – could deliver yet another statement victory.
Midigo battle
Meanwhile, at Midigo, the league’s wounded meet in a battle for survival. Calvary, bottom with just one point from five matches, host UPDF, who sit third from bottom with three points from the same number of games.
Both sides are desperate to spark their season into life, making this a high-stakes duel of struggling outfits seeking a badly needed reboot.
StarTimes Uganda Premier League
Wednesday
Entebbe UPPC vs.Police, 4pm
Calvary vs. UPDF, 4pm