BUL FC coach Abbey Kikomeko has expressed the team’s readiness to kick off the new Ugandan Premier League season with victory against Bright Stars on Friday.
The two sides will face off at Kavumba recreation grounds and this will be the first assignment for the new coach. BUL will endeavor to put aside their underwhelming top-flight efforts from last season and mount a stronger challenge for a respectable finish this time around
It is fair to say that the current mood around the team is colorful and sky-high. Kikomeko took charge of the building process of the team, with a couple of first-team players leaving during the transfer period, while Uganda Cranes goalkeeper Joel Mutakubwa, Alex Kitata, Mathew Odongo, and Gerald Ogweti are among the notable additions.
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The Eastern Giants have since enjoyed an unbeaten pre-season and came away from the FUFA Super Eight as winners after kicking URA FC 3-1 on penalties in the final to win the third edition of the competition. It was not a smooth ride however; BUL had to beat Vipers and SC Villa along that journey and that is arguably enough to instill untold confidence into the squad coming into this game.
Despite finishing outside the top eight positions last season, Bright Stars played in the FUFA Super Eight when they replaced Arua Hill. As fate would have it, they lost their quarter-final clash against eventual finalists URA but won their two classification matches against Wakiso Giants and Vipers to finish fifth.
“We have done our preparations very well,” Kikomeko said, adding: “Tomorrow is our first league game against Bright Stars, it is a big game. They are a strong team. We lost when we visited them, then we drew the other at home last season but we are ready because this season we want to see that we end up on a good note. Tomorrow we are going there knowing they are a strong and tactically good side. But I think the boys are ready – technically and tactically, the approach is going to be fantastic.”
BUL have suffered a double injury blow ahead of the new campaign as defenders Ronald Otti and Douglas Muganga are both ruled out of this clash with injuries but the coaches have plenty of players to fill the void left behind by the stalwarts.
The Eastern Giants have faced the Stars on 21 previous occasions since 2013, winning four compared to Bright Stars’ ten with the other seven matches ending in draws.