BUL’s renaissance under Alex Isabirye Musongora gathered serious momentum on Friday as the Eastern Giants dug deep to claim a hard-earned 2-1 victory over SC Villa in a bruising Uganda Premier League contest at the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru.
It was BUL’s second straight win since the dawn of the Isabirye era, and one achieved the hard way, through resilience, opportunism and a slice of fortune, against a Villa side that arrived with pedigree and ambition.
The opening exchanges were played at a ferocious tempo, heightened by the punishing heat that hovered over Njeru. BUL showed early intent, pinning Villa back and earning a free-kick in a promising area inside the opening quarter-hour. However, left-back Nicolas Mwere failed to capitalize, blazing his effort wildly off target in the 15th minute.
Head coach Alex Isabirye’s reaction after our sweet outing against SC Villa today at FUFA technical center Njeru pic.twitter.com/CGHlbhJLgQ
— BUL FOOTBALL CLUB (@Bulfc1) January 23, 2026
The oppressive conditions soon took centre stage. With players visibly struggling, the referee ordered a cooling break midway through the first half, briefly halting a contest that was already threatening to boil over.
When play resumed, BUL struck first blood. In the 32nd minute, Alex Kitata rose highest to glance Walter Ochora’s long throw into the back of the net, giving the hosts a deserved lead and sending the home bench into celebration.
SC Villa, wounded but not broken, pressed for an immediate response. Their best chance before the interval arrived at the death of the first half, when Patrick Kakande looked certain to score, only for his effort to be dramatically cleared off the line, denying the visitors a crucial equaliser.
The second half began with a moment that briefly silenced the stadium. Kitata, fresh from his opener, was involved in a heavy collision with Villa goalkeeper David Lukwago shortly after the restart. The clash looked nasty, but both players dusted themselves down after treatment and continued.
Villa’s persistence finally paid off in the 65th minute. Reagan Mpande was quickest to react after Tom Ikara could only parry an initial effort, calmly guiding the rebound into the net to restore parity and shift the momentum.
Through our lens from our yesterday outing against SC Villa. BUL 2-1 Sc Villa || #BULVIL || #BULFC pic.twitter.com/12XJBMfWFD
— BUL FOOTBALL CLUB (@Bulfc1) January 24, 2026
But BUL were not to be denied. Just five minutes later, they regained the advantage in dramatic fashion. Nicolas Mwere atoned for his earlier miss by delivering a dangerous ball into the box, which Villa goalkeeper Lukwago badly misjudged, the ball slipping past him and over the line to hand BUL the lead once more.
From there, BUL shut up shop with discipline and fight, repelling Villa’s late pressure to seal a statement victory.
The result lifts BUL to seventh on the league table with 16 points, a modest position that belies their growing confidence under Isabirye. SC Villa, meanwhile, remain fourth with 26 points from 13 matches, left to rue missed chances and costly lapses on a scorching afternoon in Njeru.
