SC Villa had to summon every ounce of grit and experience to avoid a stunning upset, battling past Pallisa FC in a tense Uganda Cup round-of-64 tie played on Friday.
Reduced to ten men almost from the first whistle, the Jogoos still found a way to grind out a hard-fought 2-1 victory to book their place in the round of 32.
The contest took a dramatic turn barely minutes into the game when goalkeeper Jean-Braddy Wokorach was shown a straight red card for bringing down an onrushing Pallisa Hospital forward outside the penalty area. The early dismissal forced an immediate reshuffle on the Villa bench, with Norman Angufindru thrown into the action between the posts as Ali Bayo made way.
Rather than crumble under the pressure, SC Villa settled into the game with surprising composure. They controlled large spells of possession and were rewarded in the 32nd minute when captain David Owori rose to the occasion, steering his side into the lead despite their numerical disadvantage.
Onto the Next Round.#PALSCV || (1-2)#TheJogoos🔵 pic.twitter.com/gk82aGvyeE
— SC Villa (@SCVillaJogoo) February 6, 2026
Pallisa, roared on by the home support, emerged with renewed purpose after the break and eventually drew level midway through the second half, threatening to turn the evening into a famous cup story.
However, Villa’s pedigree in knockout football told in the closing stages. With time ticking away, Aslam Ssemakula delivered the decisive moment, rifling home the winner ten minutes from full time to crush the hosts’ hopes.
The victory sends SC Villa through to the round of 32, where they join a growing list of confirmed qualifiers. Defending champions Vipers SC, alongside BUL FC, KCCA FC, Express FC, NEC FC, Kitara FC and Entebbe UPPC FC, have also safely navigated their way into the next round as the Uganda Cup gathers momentum.
