NEC FC booked their place in the Round of 16 of the 52nd Stanbic Uganda Cup after securing a convincing 2-0 victory over UPDF FC on Thursday, 26th February 2026.
The Round of 32 encounter was staged at the Military Barracks Stadium, where defender Joseph Dhata produced a standout display by scoring both goals that separated the two sides.
Dhata opened the scoring in the 28th minute, finishing off a well-worked move after receiving a neat setup from Richard Basangwa. The marauding right-back made no mistake, calmly guiding the ball home to hand NEC the lead.
He doubled the advantage moments before the halftime whistle, confidently converting from the penalty spot. The spot-kick was awarded after Dhata himself was brought down in the area, and the defender stepped up with composure to dispatch the effort and give his side a comfortable cushion.
Smooth Sailing into the next round #UPDFNEC | #StanbicUgandaCup | #Diehards pic.twitter.com/zQXkD1HYKi
— NEC FC (@Nec_Fc) February 26, 2026
In another Round of 32 fixture, Maroons FC narrowly defeated Kumi United FC 1-0. The decisive moment came in the 56th minute when Norman Odipio unleashed a powerful long-range effort that proved enough to separate the teams.
Following the results, NEC and Maroons progressed to the Round of 16 where they join several sides that had already secured qualification, including Vipers SC, Express FC, SC Villa, Kitara FC, Kampala Capital City Authority FC, URA FC, Onduparaka FC, Red Devo, Happy Boys Kagaba and Iganga United.
The Uganda Cup, first held in 1971, remains the country’s premier knockout football competition. The eventual champion secures the honour of representing Uganda in the CAF Confederation Cup.
