Ndejje University’s struggles in front of goal continued after the former Ugandan university football powerhouse was held to a stubborn goalless draw by Lira University in the 2026/27 Pepsi University Football League season.
Playing at home, Ndejje were unable to break down a resilient Lira side as both teams settled for a point in difficult weather conditions.
The result means Ndejje are still searching for their first goal of the campaign after two home matches. Their opening fixture ended in a narrow defeat to Gulu University, before they dropped another two points in the frustrating stalemate against Lira.
Despite creating a number of scoring opportunities, Ndejje failed to convert, leaving head coach Kongo Boniface to reflect on another missed opportunity.
“First of all, I would like to give a big round of applause to the boys. Today, there was a bit of improvement, although we didn’t win the game,” Boniface said.
“We managed to pick up a point, and as we look ahead to next year, we shall build on this performance and capitalize on the areas where things went wrong.”
The Ndejje coach admitted that his side’s biggest problem was their failure to make their chances count.
“The negative side is that we created several chances but failed to execute them and hit the target. That is an area we are going to work hard to improve on going into next year.
“Otherwise, I give great applause to the boys for their effort. I would also like to appreciate the other team; they were good, and I give them great credit.”
Lira University, meanwhile, were satisfied with a point away from home, with captain Okeng Emmanuel praising both teams for their performance despite the challenging conditions.
“First of all, we came here and played good football. I believe both teams gave a good account of themselves and competed well throughout the game,” Emmanuel said.
“Unfortunately, the weather was a challenge for both sides because we did not expect those conditions, but that is football and we had to adapt.”
The Lira captain insisted that taking a point on the road was a positive result for his side.
“Getting a draw away from home is not a bad result. We would have loved to win, of course, but we can take the point and build from it.
“I want to thank the university for the hospitality they showed us. We appreciate it very much, and we are now looking forward to our next game with hope and determination to get a victory.”
Lira assistant coach Stephen Kula also acknowledged that his side had periods of dominance but admitted there was still work to be done during the upcoming break.
“I accept that my boys were dominant, but we have to work on breaking the pressure as we go for a short break,” Kula said.
“We are going to try to correct our errors because we made some mistakes so that we come back a stronger side.”
The draw leaves Lira University top of Group C with four points, although their position could change depending on the results of the other teams in the group.
For Ndejje, however, the concern remains clear: two home matches, no goal and just one point collected. The former university football powerhouse will need to rediscover its attacking edge quickly if it is to revive its 2026/27 Pepsi UFL campaign.