Blacks Power Stay Perfect as Maroons Bounce Back Against Ntugasaze

Blacks Power continued their impressive opening to the StarTimes Uganda Premier League season on Wednesday, securing a second successive victory with a 1-0 win over Police at Hoima City Stadium. Meanwhile, Maroons put their opening-day disappointment behind them with a commanding 3-1 victory against newly promoted Ntugasaze at Kira Road Police Arena.

The two results offered contrasting fortunes on a busy matchday, with Blacks Power maintaining their unbeaten record and Maroons finally getting their campaign off the mark. While Blacks Power once again relied on a narrow margin to collect maximum points, Maroons produced a more convincing attacking performance to return to winning ways.

Okech Makes the Difference in Hoima

Blacks Power’s strong start continued in Hoima as Emmanuel Janan Oketch scored the decisive goal to secure another 1-0 victory. After opening their campaign with a similar result against Ntugasaze, the Hoima side once again showed the efficiency required to turn a tight contest in their favour.

The match remained closely contested for long periods, with both teams working hard to establish control. Police were able to frustrate the hosts for much of the opening phase, but Blacks Power continued to search for the opening that would eventually determine the outcome.

Oketch eventually provided that moment, giving Blacks Power the advantage they needed to move to six points from their opening two matches. The result also extended their perfect defensive record, with the side yet to concede a goal this season.

A Strong Defensive Foundation

Two matches into the campaign, Blacks Power have already demonstrated a clear ability to protect their goal and manage narrow leads. Their consecutive 1-0 victories may not have produced large scorelines, but they have delivered the most important reward in football — maximum points.

The clean-sheet record has been particularly encouraging for the side, which has combined defensive discipline with just enough attacking quality to settle both of its opening fixtures. That balance has immediately placed Blacks Power among the early pace-setters.

Police, who had opened their campaign with a victory over Mbarara City, were unable to find a response after falling behind. Blacks Power remained organised during the closing stages and ensured that their early advantage was enough to complete another successful afternoon.

Maroons Respond in Style

At Kira Road Police Arena, Maroons delivered a much more emphatic response to their opening-day defeat, defeating Ntugasaze 3-1 to collect their first three points. Having lost 2-1 to URA on Sunday, the Prison Warders approached their second outing with greater attacking purpose and were rewarded with a dominant first-half display.

Jackson Nunda emerged as the chief architect of the victory, scoring twice before the interval to give Maroons a comfortable advantage. His performance provided the attacking spark his team needed and placed them in control before Ntugasaze could settle into the contest.

The result was particularly important for Maroons because of how quickly they were able to respond to their opening setback. Rather than allowing the defeat to URA to affect their confidence, they produced a performance that gave them an early platform from which to build their season.

Nunda Strikes Twice Before Half-Time

Nunda opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a clever flick from a corner, giving Maroons the breakthrough after their early pressure. The goal settled the visitors and forced Ntugasaze to deal with an attacking unit that was beginning to find space in dangerous areas.

The former KCCA and URA midfielder doubled Maroons’ advantage nine minutes before the interval, rising to head home an Edward Kabona delivery. The second goal gave the visitors a significant advantage and left Ntugasaze facing a difficult task heading into the second half.

Nunda’s contribution was not limited to his finishing. Operating as one of two attacking midfielders alongside Abel Eturude, he remained heavily involved in Maroons’ attacking movements and continued to trouble the Ntugasaze defence throughout the contest.

Oshaba Adds a Third

Maroons carried their first-half momentum into the opening stages of the second period and soon found another opportunity to extend their advantage. Nunda was again central to the move, winning a penalty after he was brought down inside the box by Apollo Kagogwe.

Marvin Oshaba assumed responsibility from the spot and converted to make it 3-0. The penalty gave Maroons a three-goal cushion and appeared to place them in complete control of a match they had largely dominated during the opening stages.

The goal also gave Maroons valuable breathing room for the remainder of the contest. With such a substantial advantage established, they were able to absorb Ntugasaze’s response while focusing on protecting the result.

Kaye Gives Ntugasaze Hope

Ntugasaze emerged from the interval with a noticeably improved approach, showing greater urgency as they attempted to recover from the heavy deficit. Their persistence eventually paid off when Ronald Kaye pulled a goal back, reducing the margin and giving the home side renewed belief.

The goal changed the mood of the contest and encouraged Ntugasaze to commit more players forward. Kaye remained involved in their attacking efforts and later came close to creating further problems when he forced substitute goalkeeper Derrick Were into a sharp save.

Despite the improvement, Ntugasaze could not build enough momentum to complete the comeback. Maroons had already created a substantial advantage and used it effectively to withstand the pressure generated by the hosts during the second half.

Maroons Reduced to Ten

The visitors’ challenge became more complicated when Edward Kabona was shown a red card during the final half-hour for denying a goalscoring opportunity as the last defender. His dismissal reduced Maroons to 10 players and gave Ntugasaze another reason to believe that a comeback remained possible.

The numerical disadvantage meant Maroons had to reorganise and devote greater attention to protecting their lead. Ntugasaze attempted to exploit the extra space and possession that came with having an additional player, but the visitors remained disciplined enough to prevent the situation from developing into a serious threat to the result.

Despite playing the final stages a man down, Maroons held on for a deserved 3-1 victory. Their ability to manage the closing period demonstrated the value of the advantage they had built during the first half.

A Valuable Response for Maroons

The victory was an important recovery for Maroons following their 2-1 defeat to URA in their opening match. That result had seen them fall short despite their efforts, making a positive response against Ntugasaze particularly important at this early stage of the campaign.

They responded with three goals and a performance that showed greater attacking efficiency. Nunda’s brace provided the foundation, while Oshaba’s penalty further strengthened their position before Ntugasaze managed to reduce the deficit.

The three points give Maroons a platform from which to build as the season progresses. More importantly, the performance showed that they can recover from setbacks and respond with purpose when faced with the pressure of an early-season fixture.

Ntugasaze Still Searching for First Points

For Ntugasaze, the defeat marked another difficult evening in their first season among Uganda’s top-flight clubs. Having already lost narrowly to Blacks Power in their opening match, the newcomers now have two defeats from two outings.

There were encouraging signs in the second half, particularly in the way they responded after falling three goals behind. Ronald Kaye’s goal and the subsequent pressure showed that the team remains capable of creating opportunities even when facing a difficult situation.

However, the slow start proved costly against Maroons. Ntugasaze will need to turn their periods of positive play into goals and points as they continue adapting to the demands of Premier League football.

Blacks Power Set the Early Pace

Blacks Power’s six points from two matches provide an ideal beginning to their campaign and place them firmly among the early leaders. Their back-to-back victories have also come without conceding, giving them one of the strongest defensive starts in the league.

The Hoima side’s immediate challenge will be maintaining that consistency as they face increasingly difficult opposition. While the season remains young, the combination of results and clean sheets has given them valuable momentum.

Maroons, meanwhile, have opened their account and will look to use Wednesday’s victory as a foundation for a stronger run. With the first points secured and their attacking players already showing promise, the Prison Warders have given themselves a timely boost as the league campaign gathers pace.