By 
KCCA FC picked up an important 3-0 victory over Maroons FC at the MTN Omondi Stadium on Thursday night in a result that keeps their push for a top-two finish alive in the Uganda Premier League.
Despite the convincing scoreline, the contest was far from straightforward for the Kasasiro Boys, who had to remain patient against a disciplined Maroons side before taking control in the closing stages.
The opening half was evenly contested, with KCCA showing early attacking intent through Shafik Kwikiriza and Ashraf Mugume, while Maroons stayed organized defensively and looked dangerous on the counter.
Referee Joshua Duula was kept busy in a physical encounter, booking KCCA captain Gavin Kizito and Maroons defender Godwin Kitagenda midway through the first half.
KCCA nearly broke the deadlock in the 25th minute when Sserunjogi curled a free-kick towards the top corner, but Maroons goalkeeper Tamale reacted brilliantly to push the ball away.
The breakthrough finally came in first-half stoppage time. Gavin Kizito’s long pass picked out Ivan Ahimbisibwe, whose clever header found Mugume, and the midfielder nodded home to hand the hosts a crucial lead before halftime.
Maroons responded positively after the restart and almost found an equalizer in the 68th minute, only for Mugolofa Mutwalibi to produce an excellent save to deny Raymond Walugembe.
The turning point came with the introduction of Herbert Achayi late in the match. The midfielder marked his return in spectacular fashion in the 87th minute, surging forward before firing a powerful long-range effort into the corner to make it 2-0.
KCCA sealed the result three minutes later when Mugume slipped through Ahimbisibwe, who calmly finished to score his 13th league goal of the season.
Mugume was later named Player of the Match after registering a goal and an assist in a performance that proved decisive for the hosts.
KCCA now turn their attention to next Wednesday’s away fixture against UPDF FC in Bombo, while Maroons will seek a response when they face Entebbe UPPC on Tuesday.
