URA FC played out a goalless draw on a rainy evening against Mbarara City at the Arena of Visions in Ndejje. This was the first leg of the 32 round in this year’s Stanbic Uganda Cup.
Coming into this game, the two sides had only met six times and this was to be the seventh. None of the sides had ever won a game. The tax collectors were on a quest for just their first win against the Ankole Lions.
It is however fair to say that the game promised more than what it offered. It promised goals at least going by set-up from both teams especially looking at it from the URA FC perspective.
Sam Simbwa set up with a 4-4-2 attacking formation; Mutyaba Julius seating as the 6 alongside Majwega Brian and Shafik Kagimu on either side of the flanks. Moses Sseruyidde played a bit more forward behind the two strikers.
The league top scorer Steven Mukwala and Cromwel Rwothomio were charged with the responsibility of scoring goals for the Tax collectors while Nafian Alionzi started his first game since returning from injury.
The first half of the game was hugely dominated by URA FC not only in terms of possession but also in the number of offensive chances created.
It took a couple of half-chances in the first half from Cromwel in the 8th minute and Mukwala in the 15th minute before Mbarara City came close to breaking the deadlock in the 31 minute.
Ibrahim Dada came on the pitch in the second half for Galiwango Ashraf, around the same time Benjamin Nyakoojo saw his header miss by inches off a perfect corner kick from Moses Sseruyidde in the 58 minute.
Minute 64 provided the best chance of the game as the ball came to the path of a player any URA FC fan would have loved to, Steven Mukwala who saw his headed effort saved by the goalkeeper but Dada rebounding it off the crossbar.
The 76th minute provided another big chance for URA as Dada set-up substitute Brian Nkuubi with a header which he volleyed to hit the woodwork. That and much more was the story of the game.
A disappointing result but with a return leg on the horizon, the team can have their hopes up. This being settled on an away goal’s rule, the return leg promises to be very interesting.
Sam Ssimbwa said.
“Disappointing that we haven’t won the game but all isn’t lost. We will prepare for Friday and try everything in our power to progress to the next round. “
The next game will be a return leg against Mbarara City at Kakyeeka Stadium this Friday, 9 April 2021. We hope to get our first win against the Ankole Lions then.