URA FC will host KCCA FC on Saturday afternoon at Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo, in the quarterfinals of the Stanbic Uganda Cup.
KCCA FC progressed to this stage in emphatic fashion, thrashing Onduparaka FC 5-0, while URA FC secured a 3-0 victory over Tapoh to book their place in the last eight.
Both sides are yet to concede a goal in the competition. However, KCCA have been more dominant, winning all three of their matches from the round of 64, whereas URA needed a penalty shootout to overcome Blacks Power in the round of 32 after a closely contested encounter.
This season, the two teams have met once, with KCCA FC registering a 2-1 victory. However, in their most recent meeting at Nakivubo, URA edged KCCA 1-0 courtesy of a late strike from Innocent Kisolo.
KCCA FC co-coach Jackson Magera acknowledged the challenge posed by URA but emphasized his team’s determination.
“URA is very disciplined and can be tough to play against, especially in a knockout competition like the Uganda Cup. We respect them, but our mentality is to fight for the badge every single minute. The players have shown great spirit in the previous rounds, and we are going to Nakivubo with one objective, to secure our place in the semifinals,” he said.
The 10-time winners will look to in-form striker Ivan Ahimbisibwe, a former URA player, who has been outstanding this season and currently leads the Uganda Premier League scoring charts with 11 goals. Emmanuel Anyama has also impressed, contributing three goals and one assist in three Uganda Cup matches.
URA FC will be without goalkeeper Abdu Magada, but the rest of the squad is available for selection.
KCCA FC, on the other hand, will miss Bright Anukani, James Mubezi, and Derrick Nsibambi. However, they have received a boost with the return of goalkeeper Charles Lukwago from compassionate leave, while Alpha Ssali has recovered from a hamstring injury and is available for selection.
The winner of this encounter will join Vipers SC in the semifinals after the defending champions eliminated NEC FC 4-3 on penalties.
It should be noted that the winner of the Stanbic Uganda Cup earns the right to represent Uganda in the CAF Confederation Cup.
