Some football rivalries are measured in trophies; others in history, emotion and the expectation that anything can happen when the sides meet.
SC Villa against Express FC belongs firmly in the latter category. The latest chapter unfolds today, September 9 at 4pm at Muteesa II stadium, Wankulukuku, where Villa aka the Jogoos host the Red Eagles in a StarTimes Uganda Premier League match that carries more than the usual three points.
SC Villa arrive with renewed confidence after claiming their first victory of the 2026/27 campaign, a 1-0 away win over URA FC at Hamz stadium on September 4.
Reagan Mpande scored the decisive goal, although Villa had to survive the closing stages with 10 men after Mpagi Kajubi was sent off. It was a result that showed Villa’s defensive resilience and gave the Jogoos momentum ahead of their first home game at Wankulukuku, their confirmed home ground for the season.
Express, however, are unlikely to be intimidated. The seven-time champions lost their opening match 1-0 to Bul FC but responded with a 2-0 victory over Kampala City on September 3.
More importantly, that victory reflected the renewed belief surrounding a club that endured a difficult 2025/26 season. Express finished 10th with 37 points and suffered a major squad exodus. But the arrival of several new players, coach Morley Byekwaso and a new shirt sponsor, National Insurance Corporation (NIC), has helped generate a sense of a new beginning.
That mood was visible when former chairmen Kiryowa Kiwanuka and Godfrey Kirumira were ushered into Nakivubo stadium by new chief executive officer Becky Nakimera before the KCCA game.
It was a symbolic moment for a club whose supporters had largely stayed away last season amid frustrations over management, including reports of unpaid players and poor communication from the club.
However, the response against KCCA suggested the relationship between fans, players and management may be healing. Express went toe-to-toe with their more fancied opponents, and the renewed belief eventually produced the killer instinct needed to win.
“I like the fight that my players have shown,” Byekwaso said after the game, insisting the same courage had been evident even in the opening-day defeat to Bul FC.
Now he faces one of the most intriguing assignments in Ugandan football. Byekwaso knows both sides of the VEK rivalry. He played for KCCA, Express and Villa and has also coached Villa.
His understanding of the demands and pressures surrounding these three clubs could prove valuable as he attempts to rebuild Express. For the Red Eagles faithful, beating Villa almost carries the weight of a trophy.
Recent history gives the Jogoos the psychological advantage. Villa have won four of the last six meetings, Express one, with the other ending in a draw.
Villa won 1-0 at Nakivubo in January 2026, while the return fixture in March ended 0-0 after a refereeing error ruled out a potential Villa winner. In 2024/25, the clubs shared a win apiece on home ground, with Express finishing ninth.
Uganda Premier League fixtures
Today, September 9@4pm:
SC Villa v Express@Wankulukuku
Entebbe UPPC v Lugazi
Thursday, September 10@4pm:
Kitara v URA
Kataka v Vipers
Police v UPDF
Friday, September 11@4pm:
Mbarara City v NEC