Ugandan league champions Express FC registered their first win at the CECAFA Kagame Cup with a 1-0 over South Sudanese outfit Atlabara FC on Monday evening at the Azam Complex Chamazi in Dar-es-Saalam Tanzania.

Forward Erick Kambale scored the only goal of the game.

The Red Eagles started off slow, understandbly so with most of the players trying to get the rhythm right and got the early chance on three minutes through the left flank when forward Erick Kambale broke clear only to be fouled by Atlabara FC’s Peter Sunday Makoy leaving center referee Mfaume Ally with no option but to point to the spot.

Kambale stepped up and sent Lukas Lechere, Atlabara FC’s goalkeeper the wrong way to make it 1-0.

The Red Eagles possessed most of the remaining half but always came short in the final third, after the break the wings upped the tempo with Godfrey Lwesibawa and Martin Kizza causing trouble but Lukas Lechere was available to keep his side in the game.

The defining moment of the game, atleast for the Red Eagles was the 66th minute when defensive midfielder Abel Etrude vied for an aerial ball with Ernadez Tera but was adjudged to have elbowed the latter by centre referee Mfaume Ally who then sent him for an early shower.

The last 24 minutes were purely down to game management by Wasswa Bbosa’s charges, the win takes the Red Eagles to the top of group A with the next match day coming on Wednesday 4th August 2021.

REACTIONS.

Wasswa Bbosa – Head Coach.

“It’s very important that we won today’s game, we had to get the win, it’s not that we didn’t play well but our fitness levels are a bit low because the players had been on a break when we came for the tournament but now we focus on the next game, we hope to do better that’s for sure”.

Enock Walusimbi – Captain.

“I am so glad we won the game, the Abel Etrude red card was tough on us but the boys managed the game well, we definitely are now thinking about our next game.”

Express FC next face Nyasa Big Bullets at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Wednesday at 4pm.