After winning 1-0 against Impala Hill FC at the Army Military Stadium, Bombo, UPDF became the first club to advance to the round of 16 of the Stanbic Uganda Cup. The goal came late in the game after teenager Sabir Yassin landed a fantastic strike and put the ball at the back of the net during the added minutes of the match.

UPDF’s head coach, Brian Ssenyondo, had commented that Impala Hill was a good side and the team would play with care. With the game ending as a 1-0 win, the coach’s word couldn’t be further from the truth.

UPDF kicked off the round of 32 matches, and during the week, other teams will battle it out on the pitch to secure a place in the round of 16 stage. Titleholders Viper SC also had a match on February 21st against Kigezi Homeboyz FC, and the game ended with a 1-0 win in favour of the Vipers.

From the concluded round of 64 to the ongoing round of 32 matches, this 48th Ugandan Cup sure has its thrills and surprises. If you want to get some action off the pitch and into some stakes, then sites such as BettingTop10 Uganda will point you to the best bookmakers.

Will UPDF be able to make it past the round of 16? Or was it luck that landed them a spot there in the first place? Going by the round of 64 results, UPDF’s tactical play seems to work for them. The fixture pit UPDF against Soroti FC, and the former took the day with a 3-0 win. The scorers for the day were Rogers Mugisha, Philip Angelo and Sabir Yassin.

Sabir Yassin is one of the forwards that UPDF will be counting on to place them ahead in the upcoming match. But Sabir isn’t the only strong player that the team is counting on. Musa Mudde is a veteran midfielder who starts almost every game, and Ezekiel Katende is their new signing from Wakiso Giants, who is expected to boost their midfield. Other players with a significant impact on the team include Ahimbisibwe Ivan, Wasswa Yusuf, Iga Frank and Adriko Rogers.

The Uganda Premier League can also indicate the team’s current form. UPDF is slightly above the number 10 position with a streak of draws. Their last encounter with Viper SC, the table leaders, ended with a 1-1 draw. Before that, UPDF played against Police FC, and the match ended as a draw.

As we wait for the round of 16 draw to be done to know which team UPDF will face, everything hangs in the balance at the moment. The best prediction about the match is that it won’t have many goals between the two teams. The fact that UPDF was able to hold Viper SC to a draw shows the team’s potential.