By now, the Express Football Club fraternity must be delighted with a rather collectively improved performance after completing two-thirds of the 2020-2021 Uganda Premier League season.
A return of 40 points from 20 matches is far much welcome for a team that could only manage 28 points from 25 outings last term.
And yet, there is still a feeling that that tally could have been better for coach Wasswa Bbosa’s charges.
Express has had a change of face both on and off the pitch and this best explains why, with 10 games to end the season, there is still hope for a first league title in nine years.
The Red Eagles have been a shadow of their stellar first-round form in the second stanza of the season. They have been shy of consistency with sheer difficulty in stringing more than two wins in a row.
But after two straight losses to Bright Stars and UPDF, last Friday’s 1-0 win over fellow league contenders Vipers SC at St Mary’s Stadium in Kitende courtesy of John Byamukama's scorcher appeared to have lifted the spirits from the pitch to Bbosa and his team at the bench and furthest to the leadership marshaled by Kiryowa Kiwanuka.
There is belief that a seventh league triumph can be achieved, especially with leaders URA, who beat Mbarara City, seven points ahead and with a game more played.
Hence, Bbosa will want to maintain the winning rhythm when Express hosts Onduparaka at the Betway Muteesa II Stadium in Wankulukuku on Wednesday.
“We’ve been correcting past mistakes from our away win over Vipers,” Bbosa told the club website.
Onduparaka arrives from their Arua base with a poor record with just two wins from five outings and is distant 11th with 24 points.
However, this is the eighth meeting between both teams, and the visitors have won thrice and picked three draws.
“We know Onduparaka has managed to pick points against us in the past and we respect them but we’ve prepared well I’d say. The boys have been working on finishing and I am hopeful we shall come out on top,” added Bbosa.
Express’ treatment room still has Abel Etrude, George Senkaaba, and Arthur Kiggundu but center-back Issa Lumu will also miss due to accumulated yellow cards.
UPL RESULTS
Kitara 4-2 Kyetume
URA 2-0 Mbarara City
Busoga United 0-0 UPDF
SC Villa 1-1 BUL
EXPRESS NEXT 10 LEAGUE MATCHES
Apr 28: Express vs. Onduparaka
May 8: Express vs. Police
May 12: Kyetume vs. Express
May 15: Express vs. UPDF
May 18: Busoga Utd vs. Express
May 21: Express vs. Kitara
Jun 20: Wakiso Giants vs Express
Jun 23: Express vs. MYDA
Jun 26: Express vs. BUL
Jun 30: KCCA vs. Express
EXPRESS LAST EIGHT LEAGUE MATCHES
Vipers 0-1 Express
Bright Stars 2-1 Express
UPDF 1-0 Express
Express 0-0 Kyetume
Police 0-1 Express
Express 3-1 URA
SC Villa 0-0 Express
Express 1-1 Mbarara City
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This writer is a global broadcaster and as well scribe with Daily Monitor Newspaper and sports presenter with Radio One FM 90 in Kampala. Follow him on Twitter: @AllanDarren and his Facebook Page: Darren Allan Kyeyune