SC Villa will look to keep their Uganda Premier League title challenge alive when they travel to face struggling Lugazi FC on Wednesday at Najjembe Stadium.

The Jogoos currently sit in fourth place with 45 points, 10 points behind leaders and defending champions Vipers SC, with seven matches remaining.

Head coach Zeljko Kovacevic believes the title race is still wide open and has called for maximum points on the road.

“We need points on the road to keep our title push active. We drew with them in the first leg, but this time we come with full focus on securing maximum points,” Kovacevic told the club website.

Villa’s away form has been their biggest weakness this season, with all four of their league defeats coming on the road.

However, they will take encouragement from their recent 1-1 draw against Vipers, where Frank Ssebuufu scored a late equaliser.

Apart from goalkeeper Norman Angufindri, who is unavailable due to studies, SC Villa have a fully fit squad for the trip.

Lugazi FC, on the other hand, are battling relegation.

They sit 13th on the 16-team table with 20 points, just five points above the drop zone.

Simon Peter Mugerwa’s side are without a win in their last six league matches.

The first-round encounter between the two sides ended in a goalless draw on January 31 at Kadiba Stadium.

Several key players will be missing for Lugazi, including Paul Wasswa, Peter Cuti, David Bagoole, and Rogers Atube due to injuries.

Derrick Mwanje is suspended, while Ashraf Mulindi (on loan from SC Villa) is ineligible to face his parent club.

Hamza Mulambuzi and Adam Mutesasira remain doubtful.

A win for SC Villa would keep the pressure on the teams above them, while a victory for Lugazi could provide a much-needed boost in their fight against relegation.