Express FC 3-0 Wakiso Giants FC
Mutessa II Stadium, Wankulukuku
Friday, 26-02-2020
Express FC moved top of the Uganda Premier League thanks to a commanding 3-0 victory over Wakiso Giants FC at Wankulukuku on Friday.
George Ssenkaba put the Red Eagles ahead before Charles Musiige doubled their lead inside the opening 10 minutes. Godfrey Lwesibawa added a third in the second half from a direct free kick.
Ssenkaba who came into the game in good form, netting in both of his last two games, poked home from close range on six minutes after Eric Kambale lashed onto a Godfrey Lwesibawa free kick to put it on the plate for him.
Four minutes later, Kambale threaded a through ball for Musiige who beat Joshua Lubwama for pace before slotting in past the on-rushing Samson Kirya for 2-0.
Seven minutes after the break, Lwesibawa put the game beyond doubt rifling in a freekick which deflected off Vianne Ssekajugo and into the back of the net.
The result sees Express move onto 22 points for the season, one ahead of Vipers SC who face Onduparaka away from home on Saturday.
For Wakiso who lost their first game on Friday, they stay in 10th with 11 points from 10 games.
Rampant Red Eagles pass Giants test
Express have put themselves in the title conversation with their fine early season form.
Going into the game, they were coming off two-four-goal victories away to BUL FC and MYDA FC.
A return home to Wankulukuku felt more like a test as they tried to replicate their away form against a side that, just like them, were still unbeaten.
They started brightly and could have taken the lead inside two minutes only for Lwesibawa and Musiige to mess up chances inside the area as they failed to strike at goal from good positions.
However, Ssenkaba immediately erased those bitter sights as he poked into an empty net after he was set up by eventual man of the match, Eric Kambale.
With Wakiso struggling defensively as they conceded one chance after the other, Musiige pounced on Kambale’s through-ball before racing to goal and guiding the ball past Samson Kirya for 2-0.
Express could have added more goals in the opening period but just like in the draw at home to KCCA FC on match-day seven, wasted one opportunity after the other
Musiige turned swiftly in the area but shot wide, Arthur Kiggundu forced Kirya into a full-hearted save before Ssenkaba also saw an effort thwarted by the shot stopper from point-blank range after the Wakiso defence failed to deal with Lwesibawa’s corner.
Wakiso looked to be playing a very-high line in defence and Express kept on running in behind them and only last ditch defending and Kirya were standing in their path for a third goal.
Just after the break, Simon Namwanja made two goal-line clearances to deny both Musiige and Kalanda but not even he could stop Lwesibawa minutes later as he blasted a free kick which deflected off Ssekajugo and went past the hapless Kirya and into the net.
A fourth goal looked inevitable but everyone in the stadium could not believe their eyes as first, Lwesibawa failed to beat Kirya while one on one and then substitute Frank Kalanda saw the same result after Kambale played him through on goal, late in the game.
Wakiso pay dearly for defending high up the pitch
Wakiso came into the contest still unbeaten in nine games.
However, their defensive record was not as glittering as they had conceded in six of those games.
Securing a fourth clean sheet of the campaign looked very much in doubt as they conceded early chances in Friday’s game.
It took just six minutes for them to concede as they let a Lwesibawa free kick fall behind their back-line and Kambale passed for Ssenkaba to poke home.
After Musiige had been ruled offside just after the centre-line, Wakiso would not be two times lucky when moments later the former Tooro United forward beat the offside trap to race towards goal and score the second.
Kirya and some desperate defending kept the Purple Sharks in the game until halftime as the scores, somehow, remained 2-0.
But after Edward Satulo brought down Musiige outside the area, Lwesibawa netted the third from the resultant free kick and the game was all but lost.
At the other end, Douglas Bamweyana’s side created little to suggest that they may keep their unbeaten record intact.
Kipson Atuhaire blazed over a free kick from just outside the area and Ssekajugo wasted a decent chance in the second half as he allowed Isa Lumu to recover and make a last-ditch block to deny the forward.
In their next fixtures, Wakiso are at home to MYDA FC while Express visits Kitara FC.
How both teams started
Express FC
Mathais Muwanga (GK), Enock Walusimbi, Murushid Juuko, Isa Lumu, Arthur Kiggundu, Abel Etrude, Mahad Yaya, Charles Musiige, Eric Kambale, George Ssenkaba, Godfrey Lwesibawa.
Wakiso Giants FC
Samson Kirya (GK), Ibrahim Faizul, Edward Satulo, Simon Namwanja, Joshua Lubwama, Hassan Ssenyonjo, Owen Kasule, Pius Kaggwa, Yasin Mugume, Vianne Ssekajugo, Kipson Atuhaire.
The other game played on Friday
-BUL FC 4-1 MYDA FC
