MATCH PREVIEW: UPDF VS BUL FC
Thursday 9th November 2023
Uganda Premier League
Bombo Military Grounds
UPDF Vs BUL FC
Kickoff: 4pm
BUL FC look to consolidate their grip at the top of the Uganda premier league on Thursday evening as they make the trip to Bombo military grounds to take on UPDF FC
Highly impressive early-season form sees the Eastern Giants boast with six wins in as many games – their aim now is to preserve the unbeaten run by securing consecutive victories.
The Eastern Giants sit pretty well in the first place on the Uganda premier league log with 18 points having not dropped even a point in six rounds.
Abbey Kikomeko’s men convincingly beat Bright Stars, KCCA, Arua Hill, Maroons and SC Villa. They also picked points against a boggy URA side last time out. Therefore, every game is there for the taking for BUL.
In their way however lie a bewildering army side that is eager to get up and running in front of its own fans and is desperate to continue its renaissance.
After losing three consecutive games, UPDF recently drew with Express and beat Busoga United in their immediate last two games.
They currently occupy 12th position in the table with one win, two draws and three defeats from their six games played so far. They come into the encounter with five points, one and two ahead of Wakiso Giants and Bright Stars respectively.
It was a one all draw when the sides last met in April. This will be the 13th meeting between the two teams.
TEAM NEWS:
Midfielder Pascal Ngobi will miss the clash after sustaining an injury against URA in the dieing minutes of the game but the rest of the squad are available for selection.
‘‘ UPDF is a strong side, we haven’t won in Bombo in the last 4 outings but we are going there to change those numbers this time. We are building on our current form to get maximum points from Bombo. The boys are in good shape, we have prepared them well and they are ready to deliver tomorrow’’, assistant coach James Magala.
Captain George Kasonko ” Our last six wins are not news anymore everybody knows we won them, our focus now is on tomorrow’s game against UPDF that is very crucial to us and we going to play it as a final . We are in good shape and ready to battle for maximum points. We call upon our fans to come support us tomorrow and promise to get maximum points for them”
Head to Head
P12 W6 D2 L4
Twelve matches have been played between these teams, producing six wins for BUL, four for UPDF and two draws since 2015.
Previous four encounters
December 23, 2021
UPDF FC 1-1 BUL FC
March 01, 2022
BUL 5-1 UPDF FC
October 8, 2022
BUL FC 3-1 UPDF FC
February 21, 2023
UPDF 1-1 BUL FC
Match Facts
BUL have won all their past six games, including the three away matches this season, scoring ten (10) goals and conceding two in the process with a maximum of 15 points collected.
From the six games, they have managed four clean sheets, against – Bright Stars, KCCA FC, Maroons and URA FC.
Eight of BUL’s ten goals have come in the first half.
The Eastern Giants are unbeaten in the last five meetings with UPDF, winning three matches and drawing two, with 14 goals scored and seven conceded during the same run.
BUL’s last loss to UPDF occurred three years ago when they were defeated by the army side 2-1 in December of 2020. The Eastern Giants’ first half lead through Joseph Ssemujju was overturned by Dickens Okwir’s late double for UPDF.
However, BUL has never won a league match away at UPDF. In six trips to Bombo, the Eastern Giants have drawn two games and lost three but they were beneficiaries of a FUFA Disciplinary Committee Panel’s decision to overturn UPDF’s 1-0 victory over BUL, and awarded three points and three goals to the Eastern Giants after the army team used Sulaiman Majanjalo who was ineligible to play in that game of April 2018.
This fixture has produced a winner in ten of their past twelve (12) meetings, and 38 goals have been scored across the games, with BUL FC having a lion’s share of 23.
The two stalemates in this fixture ended 1-1; and in both, BUL scored first. Musa Esenu’s goal in the 12th minute was cancelled out by Ivan Ahimbisibwe for UPDF in December 2021 while Frank Yiga equalized for the army side after Hillary Onek had put BUL ahead last season in February 2023.
UPDF have won three times in six home league games against BUL since 2015. They won 3-1 in February 2016, 2-0 in February 2017 and 2-1 in December 2021.
This campaign, the hosts have won one game, drawn two and lost three to pick five points from six matches.
And they have failed to win all their three homes games – drew against Express and URA, and lost 0-2 against Wakiso Giants in September.
They have kept two clean sheets so far – against URA FC and Busoga United.
But they have also failed to score in four of their six outings.
They have scored three goals this term and conceded six across all the matches.
Two of their three goals have come in the second half. However, their visitors have conceded one goal only after the break.
Match Coverage:
Our social media channels will relay minute to minute text commentary during play time. A match report and highlights will follow shortly.
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