By 
Uganda Premier League – Friday
- NEC 2-0 Mbale Heroes
- Police 2-0 URA
- Lugazi 3-1 Bright Stars
The floodlights at Lugogo shone brightly on Friday evening, but for Mbale Heroes, the night could not have been darker. NEC, determined to stay in the Uganda Premier League (UPL) title race, delivered a clinical performance, defeating the struggling Heroes 2-0 and piling more misery on the league’s bottom side.
Goalkeeper Hannington Ssebwalunyo stood tall between the posts, ensuring NEC kept a clean sheet. Meanwhile, it was James Jarieko and Cromwell Rwothomio who made sure the scoreboard told a happy story for the ‘Die Hards.’
NEC opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, when Jarieko rose highest to head in from Isma Kawawulo’s expertly delivered corner. It was a goal that settled any early nerves and underlined NEC’s control of the match.
Barely had the second half started when NEC struck again. Cromwell Rwothomio added the second in the 47th minute, giving his side a comfortable cushion that allowed them to dictate the pace for the remainder of the match.
The victory marked NEC’s 16th win of the season and a crucial three points as they continue to chase table leaders Vipers. Now second on the 16-team table with 54 points from 25 matches, NEC remain just five points adrift with five games left to play, a thrilling title race still very much alive.
For Mbale Heroes, however, the situation grows increasingly desperate. Rooted firmly at the bottom of the table with just 10 points, they have now recorded only two wins all season, alongside four draws and a staggering 19 losses.
Friday’s defeat at Lugogo completed a painful league double at the hands of NEC, following a 1-0 loss in the reverse fixture in Mbale.
Elsewhere, there were more surprises across the league. At Kavumba, Police stunned URA with a 2-0 win, courtesy of a brace from veteran striker Umar Kasumba. Meanwhile, Lugazi made a statement at Najjembe, dispatching Bright Stars 3-1.
