With the fight for promotion reaching its most breathless chapter, Ntungasaze FC delivered a statement of intent at the Kavumba Recreation Ground, putting Iganga United to the sword with a composed 2-0 victory that keeps their Premier League dream very much alive.
The win was not just three points. It was a declaration.
Ntungasaze sit third in a promotion race that refuses to offer anyone a moment of comfort, and on this afternoon they played like a side that knows exactly where it is going. James Jarieko broke the deadlock just before halftime with a 43rd minute strike that felt as much like a statement as it did a goal. It sent one team into the dressing room standing tall and the other in with questions they could not answer.
Iganga United did not fold. They pushed and probed through the second half with the desperation of a side that understood what defeat meant. But Ntungasaze had composure and experience in abundance and in the dying seconds of injury time the second goal arrived to settle every remaining nerve.
Much of that quality traces back to Jarieko, a player who has walked the corridors of the top flight with BUL, Onduparaka and NEC FC. The West Nile Province player is channeling every ounce of that experience into one singular mission: helping Ntungasaze earn their debut in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League. For a club with that hunger, having a man of his pedigree leading the charge is not just useful. It is everything.
Image Credit: Farm King (Kwaki Sports)
