Fresh from their CAF Confederation Cup exit, NEC FC have quickly turned their attention to domestic duty, but their league campaign is already clouded by setbacks.
The Bugolobi-based outfit are preparing for a tricky away tie against URA at Nakivubo, yet coach Hussein Mbalangu admits his squad has been heavily depleted, with injuries and travel fatigue leaving him short of options.
Mbalangu voiced his displeasure at the Uganda Premier League organisers, who declined NECโs request to push back the fixture following their long road trip to Nairobi.
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๐ URA FC
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๐ StarTimesUPL
๐๏ธ Hamz Stadium Nakivubo #Diehards | #URANEC | #UPL pic.twitter.com/6LVMdMp9HMโ NEC FC (@Nec_Fc) October 2, 2025
โWe have lots of injuries in the camp and after travelling on road to Nairobi, we had asked Fufa to reschedule the game, but they refused so we shall use the available players,โ Mbalangu told the clubโs media, revealing that more than eight first-team players are sidelined.
The growing list of casualties includes key names such as Allan Mugalu, Titus Ssematimba, James Jarieko, Emmanuel Kulanga, Timothy Muwanguzi, Siraje Sentamu and Daniel Shabena.
Despite those concerns, Mbalangu insists his philosophy remains unchanged under the leagueโs revised format, where teams must finish inside the top eight in the first round to contest for the title in the second phase:
โThe target is to try to win every game, and we shall focus on that for now. We know the strengths and weaknesses of our opponents, and we look to utilize our opportunities.โ
URA, meanwhile, are also under pressure to deliver after opening their campaign with a barren draw against BUL. Both sides will be desperate to make a statement, but NECโs depth and resilience could be tested to the extreme in Nakivubo.
