By 
Kitara FC missed a huge opportunity to close the gap on league leaders Vipers SC after suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to NEC FC at Royals Park, Butema on Saturday.
Coming into the match unbeaten at home in all competitions this season, the Royals hoped to capitalise on Vipers SC’s 1-1 draw against URA FC on Friday. Instead, Kitara endured a frustrating afternoon as NEC extended their unbeaten run in the league to 17 matches.
The Royals began brightly in front of their home supporters and controlled possession for large spells of the opening half. Patrick Kaddu and Gaddafi Wahab looked lively in attack, while Edson Agondeze caused problems with his movement in the final third.
Despite the early pressure, Kitara struggled to create clear-cut chances against NEC’s disciplined defensive structure, with the visitors remaining compact throughout the first half.
The decisive moment arrived five minutes into the second half when Richard Basangwa struck in the 50th minute to hand NEC the lead and silence the Royals Park crowd.
Kitara pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but NEC remained organised defensively and held on for a vital away victory.
The result extended NEC’s unbeaten run to 17 Uganda Premier League matches and marked their 11th consecutive clean sheet since their 1-1 draw away to Vipers SC in February, underlining one of the most impressive defensive runs in the league this season.
The defeat handed Kitara their first home loss of the campaign and dealt a significant blow to their Uganda Premier League title ambitions.
Following the result, Kitara remain third on the table with 54 points from 27 matches, six points behind leaders Vipers SC, who sit on 60 points. NEC remain fifth with 50 points, with three games left to play.
Kitara will now turn their attention to an away fixture against Express FC on Tuesday, while NEC FC will host Buhimba United Saints in their next league outing on Wednesday.
