There was a time when a meeting between SC Villa and Express FC was more than just another fixture on the Uganda Premier League calendar. It was a clash of giants, a battle for supremacy and, more often than not, a game with the title race written all over it.
On Wednesday at Wankulukuku, the two traditional giants meet again.
The names remain big. The history remains rich. The supporters remain passionate. But the reality is that both clubs are no longer the forces they once were.
Villa and Express are among Uganda’s most successful and widely supported clubs, yet between them they have managed just one league title each over the last 15 years.
That statistic tells a story.
While Vipers and KCCA FC have dominated much of the modern era, clubs such as Kitara FC and NEC FC have also emerged as serious forces, leaving Villa and Express increasingly fighting to reclaim their place on the table of men.
For Express, however, there is a sense that something is changing.
The club’s front office has quietly been working behind the scenes to rebuild the institution, with the appointment of Becky Cynthia Nakimera as CEO providing a new direction. Her work has already attracted commercial partnerships and injected fresh energy into the old giants.
On the pitch, Morley Byekwaso has been entrusted with turning that work into results.
The recruitment has also caught the eye. The return of Isaac Wagoina and Alpha Ssali have given the side some familiar quality, while the arrival of musician Derrick Ddungu, better known as Rickman, generated plenty of debate.
But Rickman answered some of his critics in the best possible way — on the pitch when the former Swedish league player scored against KCCA, while Wagoina also found the net as Express stunned the Kasasira Boys 2-0 to register their first win of the season.
That victory came after a 1-0 defeat to BUL FC in Njeru on the opening day, giving Byekwaso’s side three points from their first two matches.
SC Villa, meanwhile, have had a similarly encouraging start.
The Jogoos opened with a 1-1 draw against Kitara in a game they surrendered their lead in added time, before securing a valuable 1-0 victory away to URA FC at Nakivubo. They now head into this derby looking for another statement result — and perhaps an opportunity to remind Express who remains the bigger force.
But this is where this fixture becomes interesting. This may no longer be a clash between two title favourites, but it has certainly not lost its significance.
For clubs of Villa and Express’ stature, relevance is not measured only in trophies. It is also measured in moments like this — games against traditional rivals where losing is simply unacceptable.
A defeat on Wednesday will hurt more than the loss of three points. It will give bragging rights to the other side, increase pressure on the losing camp and potentially alter the mood around a coach and his players.
In modern football, coaches are often judged by results, and there are few fixtures in Uganda where a poor result can create pressure quite like Villa against Express.
Gone may be the days when this fixture automatically decided the championship. But it can still shape a season.
For Express, victory would strengthen the belief that the rebuilding project is beginning to bear fruit.
For Villa, another win would provide further evidence that the Jogoos youthful squad is steadily finding their way back.
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