Mbalangu wary of ‘Wounded Buffalo’ URA as UPDF eye Nakivubo scalp

UPDF FC head coach Hussein Mbalangu expects a fierce battle on Tuesday afternoon when his side faces an embattled URA FC at the Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo, warning that the struggling giants will play like a “wounded buffalo.”

The Tax Collectors enter the Matchday 8 fixture marooned at the bottom half of the Uganda Premier League standings in 15th place, having picked up just four points. A dismal five-match winless streak ultimately cost head coach Jimmy Kintu Mwera his job, paving the way for the legendary Sam Ssimbwa to return for a second stint at the club. Ssimbwa is expected to be on the touchline on Tuesday to spark a new era.

Despite URA’s current miseries, Mbalangu refuses to underestimate the four-time league champions.

“They are a big team and despite going through some tough times, we aspire to become what they are as a big team,” Mbalangu said ahead of the clash. “And we expect them to act like a wounded buffalo, but we are ready to counter them and do all it takes to claim three points.”

The Army side sits 10th on the log with eight points, though their preparation was disrupted by a bizarre mid-week incident. UPDF’s Thursday night clash against KCCA FC at Lugogo was abandoned in the 8th miniute due to a stadium generator failure that caused a total floodlight blackout.

Reflecting on the abandoned match, Mbalangu remained highly optimistic that football authorities would rule the technical mishap in his team’s favor.

“The rules are clear and so we wait for the decision from the relevant bodies, and I am positive it will end in our favour because we were there and ready to play,” Mbalangu remarked. “There was power in the area but the generator failed and, in that case, I thought they would connect to grid power but they didn’t. In the end, the mandatory 30 minutes elapsed and we were told the game would not go on.”

Turning his focus back to the immediate task at Nakivubo, Mbalangu will rely heavily on forward Derrick Taremwa and a disciplined defensive unit to exploit URA’s low confidence and ruin Ssimbwa’s highly anticipated homecoming.

The encounter headlines a busy Tuesday across the league, sharing the Nakivubo turf with an evening kickoff between Express FC and Kataka FC.

Elsewhere, record champions SC Villa take on Blacks Power at Wankulukuku, NEC are at home against Ntugasaze while Police host winless Kigezi Home Boyz at Kamwokya.

Match day eight fixtures summary

Tuesday October 26, 2026 – 4pm

• SC Villa vs Blacks Power – Mutesa II stadium, Wankulukuku
• NEC vs Ntugasaze – MTN Omondi stadium, Lugogo
• Police vs Kigezi Home Boyz – Kira Police Arena, Kamwokya
• URA vs UPDF – Hamz stadium, Nakivubo
• Express vs Kataka – Hamz stadium, Nakivubo 7pm

Wednesday October 26, 2026 – 4pm

• KCCA vs Lugazi – MTN Omondi stadium, Lugogo
• Mbarara City vs Vipers – Rwamwanja stadium, Kamwenge
• Entebbe UPPC vs Maroons – Hamz stadium, Lugogo

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