Birungi (L) missed his spotkick as KCC bowed out of the Bell Uganda Cup
The suspense and bombshell that is the country’s oldest competition was well alive yesterday as two traditional giants fell victims of the circumstances in the Bell Uganda Cup.
Record champions and league leaders Express were as good as 2-0 victims to Big League side CRO at the Red Eagles’ own backyard, while Maroons held KCC prisoners 3-1 on spot kicks at Nakivubo.
Express, 10-time winners, have never been ejected at this stage while KCC have for the third consecutive year failed to make it to the final 32. Musa Marunda and Yasin Muwanika netted for CRO.
In Kasese, Proline triumphed over lower tier outfit CDTS 2-1 to progress while Masaka saw off Friends of Soccer in Fort Portal 1-0. Maroons coach Asaph Mwebaze was all smiles after the match, immediately declaring a fairytale journey.
“We can as well go on to the final,” he said. Maroons have never won the Cup.
“Our next fixture is at home against a lower division side; we will probably take care of that.
“The defending champions (Simba) are out, same as Express, and we have beaten KCC, why not?”
His counterpart, Morley Byekwaso, was so crestfallen that after a post-match team talk on the pitch, he went to the dressing room and could not talk to the media.
Although not sparkling under, both sides could have won this poorly attended match in open play. But George Abege’s shot off the cross bar was the closest in the game.
Spot-kicks had to separate them. Brian Akena missed for Maroons before Abege, Edward Muyingo and Okello Maxwell netted.
Eddy Mubiru, Yusuf Juuko and Michael Birungi missed for KCC, with only Joseph Ochaya scoring.
By Andrew Mwanguhya & Abdu Wasike, Daily Monitor
