Stanbic Uganda Cup (Quarter-finals)
SC Villa 1-0 Happy Boys Kagaba
Vipers 0-0 NEC (Vipers won 4-3 on penalties)
URA 2-2 KCCA (URA won 4-2 on penalties)
Kitara 3-0 Express
Kassanda, Uganda: SC Villa booked their place in the Stanbic Uganda Cup semi-finals after edging past Happy Boys Kagaba 1-0 in a tightly contested quarter-final clash on Easter Monday.
Andrew Otim scored the decisive goal in the 72nd minute, capping off a resilient performance by the record champions and ending Happy Boys’ fairytale run in front of their home crowd at Kagaba Primary School playground.
The hosts started brightly, feeding off strong home support and nearly taking an early lead. Eddie Bulwanyi forced SC Villa goalkeeper David “Raya” Lukwago into a sharp double save, while Pius Kamoga continued to trouble Villa’s backline with dangerous attacking moves.
Villa, however, struggled to settle in the opening half. Efforts from Patrick Jonah Kakande and Diego Ssemugera failed to produce clear-cut chances as the visitors looked out of sync. The first half ended goalless, with Happy Boys appearing the more threatening side.
After the break, SC Villa returned with renewed intensity, taking control of possession and pushing Happy Boys deeper into their half. The hosts briefly thought they had broken the deadlock, but Kamoga’s effort was ruled out for offside.
Villa’s breakthrough finally came from a well-worked set piece. Najib Yiga delivered a free kick into the area, Kakande nodded the ball across goal, and Otim, left unmarked at the back post, tapped in to silence the home fans.
Happy Boys pushed for an equaliser but failed to break through a disciplined Villa defence as the visitors held firm to secure progression.
At the final whistle, referee Shamirah Nabadda confirmed Villa’s place in the last four, joining Vipers SC, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), and Kitara FC.
Elsewhere, Vipers overcame NEC FC 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw, URA defeated KCCA FC 4-2 on penalties following a 2-2 stalemate, while Kitara FC cruised past Express FC with a dominant 3-0 victory.
The semi-final draw is expected soon, with fixtures set to be played over two legs. The tournament winner will earn the right to represent Uganda in the CAF Confederation Cup.
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