Saturday, January 24, 2026
Uganda Premier League – MD13
Mbarara City Vs Lugazi FC
Rwamwanja Stadium, Kamwenge
Kick-off: 4pm
Lugazi Football Club travel to the Rwamwanja Stadium in the western district of Kamwenge to take on Mbarara City FC, with kick-off set at 4 pm. It’s a battle between the 14th and the 15th placed teams on the table.
The Leaders are coming into this fixture on the back of a 1-0 away defeat to NEC FC. And to find the last time that Lugazi FC won a UPL game, you have to go back to the beginning of November last year, where we thrashed Buhimba United Saints in a 5-2 victory.
This means that in our last six outings, we have lost four and drawn two games.
In this season’s league action generally, we have won two games, drawn four, and lost six times, to sit 14th on the sixteen team log with 10 points.
For the hosts, however, they have lost only once in their past four league engagements, only recently slipping away to Vipers SC in a 2-0 loss at St. Mary’s Stadium.
But their overall record is similar to ours in every aspect, as they have also won only two games, shared points with the opponents on four occasions, and defeated six times after twelve matches. They are currently 15th on the UPL table.
Lugazi FC’s last trip to Mbarara City resulted in a 1-0 defeat in early May of 2025, with Paul Busolo, who is currently in our ranks, getting the goal for them at the Kakyeka Stadium in Mbarara. This is going to be the third league meeting between the sides.
Team News:
The head coach confirmed that midfielder Solomon Okwalinga will miss the game with an injury, while David Bagoole, Derrick Mwanje and striker Alfred Leku will also sit out this one. On the other hand, versatile defender Juma Ssajjabi is back and is available for selection.
Coach Simon Peter Mugerwa’s remarks:
“We are playing away to Mbarara City but this is a team I am well familiar with because I was their head coach just a few months ago. I am very happy for the challenge that’s ahead of us, and it’s a challenge we want to overcome by winning the game because we have prepared the boys well.”
“Considering the first game I was in charge of this team, we were dominant in the first half, with lots of chances created but we couldn’t convert them and we were punished in the second half.”
“Now our focus is on working as a unit, and playing with a lot of courage, with a mission to win the game against the hosts at Rwamwanja.”
“I am familiar with this team, and the players, and I think this will give us the edge and the determination to work hard and get the three points because they’re very important to us at this time.”
“We are fully focused to work as a team, convert the chances we expect to create on Saturday, and also defend as a team to see that we get the points.”
“It has not been easy for us recently because of the nature of the results that have been coming but we are still focused and determined to overcome the situation.”
“Every game comes with pressure given our position on the table apparently. All games mean the same. The match with Mbarara City is not different from other games. We are going to handle it in the same way we managed the others.”
“What we need this time is to work as a team, convert our chances because I know very well that we are going to create them. We have worked on that for the last seven days. So, the boys are focused on tomorrow’s game. We know the pressure is there because both teams have the same count of points but we need to see that we get the win and move to better positions on the table.”
Striker Paul Busolo’s remarks:
“We have prepared very well for this game, we have been working tirelessly because we know what it means to us. We have been prepared well by our coaches, we have tackled several areas, including our weaknesses and also continued to perfect the areas we feel we are strong in, with hope that we can win on Saturday.”
“Everybody is okay and the vibe is high, and as I speak now, we are 100% ready.”
“Currently, we are not safe on the table but we are fighting hard to see that we break into the top eight places. Everything is okay, fans have high expectations in us and as players, we are going to fight hard to win the game because if we don’t win it, it’s going to be a big battle for us going forward.”
“It’s now a do or die game. We need to win it.”
“It was a privilege for me to play for Mbarara City, and as their former player, I have been waiting for this moment to play against them. I know their strongest points, their weaknesses and we want to use them to our advantage.”
Head to Head
P2 W0 D1 L1
In the previous two league encounters between the two teams, the Leaders have drawn one and lost one.
Lugazi FC’s past five games
NEC FC 1-0 Lugazi FC
Lugazi FC 1-2 Vipers SC
Lugazi FC 1-1 Police FC
UPDF FC 2-0 Lugazi FC
Maroons 3-0 Lugazi FC
Mbarara City FC’s past five games
Vipers SC 2-0 Mbarara City
Mbarara City 1-0 URA FC
Calvary FC 1-1 Mbarara City
Mbarara City 1-1 Entebbe UPPC
Mbarara City 1-2 KCCA FC.
