Express fall as debutant Mbekeka masterminds first Lugazi win

On a night of many firsts, this was always going to be Oliver Mbekeka's day.

Having been handed the reigns albeit on an interim basis, Mbekeka became the first female coach to lead a men's team in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League as Lugazi traveled to face Express at Nakivubo for their sixth game in the top division on Tuesday evening.

The new league entrants were in search of their first topflight win after five failed attempts that led to the parting of ways with head coach Sadick Ssempigi leaving the club bottom with just two points.

Instead, the night ended with Mbekeka being lifted by one of her players after presiding over a 1-0 win to mark Lugazi's first ever win in the top division.

It was a deserved victory too,  achieved with a clear game plan in which they set out to achieve an early goal and impose their physicality over the opponents.

The approach yielded a wild start with both teams creating chances at will.

First, Express striker Sam Ssenyonjo had a near post shot saved after pouncing on a loose pass as Lugazi sought to play out from the back.

The resultant corner saw a header flicked wide by Express captain Emmauel Wasswa

Lugazi forward Freedom Mungudit the saw his shot tipped over by Express goalkeeper Emmanuel Kalyowa wide befofe a near post header flashed wide from the resulting corner, all those incidents happening in a frantic opening three minutes.

The two teams were making up for the latest round of a largely empty Nakivubo Stadium but Lugazi did not relent. 

Nelson Mandela's acrobatic kick was pushed back by Express goalkeeper Kalyowa who then dived low to his right to push out Derrick Mwanje's effort.

Express then had a Senyonjo penalty appeal waived away before Saidi Kyeyune saw his freekick pushed wide by Lugazi goalkeeper Fahad Emuran.

Lugazi finally broke the deadlock on 25 minutes when Sam Ssemugugu who top scored with 13 Big League goals last season headed Lugazi emphatically ahead from a Mungudit cross against the run of play.

The rest of the game was played with Lugazi looking to pounce on the break as Express playmaker Geoffrey Gagganga twice headed wide from clear openings and Mungudit forced a second half save from Kalyowa in a one on one opportunity following a fine breakaway.

The result leaves Express fifth with eight points but most importantly lifts Lugazi to 13th with five points from six games and puts Mbekeka in a strong position to make a case for the head coaching role that has seen the club hold talks with David Obua.