Under the Hamz Stadium floodlights, Entebbe UPPC and NEC played out an absorbing 1-1 draw in the FUFA Super 8, serving up a contest rich in tempo, fluid passing and attacking intent.
NEC struck first in the 34th minute, with James Jarieko applying a composed far-post finish to cap a well-worked move and hand his side a deserved first-half advantage.
Entebbe UPPC responded with purpose after the restart, drawing level through captain Julius Poloto, who calmly converted from the penalty spot, sending goalkeeper Hannington Ssebwalunyo the wrong way to restore parity.
Both sides maintained an expansive approach, committing bodies forward and moving the ball with confidence, much to the delight of the crowd.
The rhythm of the game, however, was briefly disrupted by injury setbacks, with Ahmed Amayo (UPPC) and Tonny Atukunda (NEC) forced off after picking up knocks.
Technical teams on either side rang the changes across both halves, using the fixture to test depth and tactical variations, but neither could find a decisive breakthrough.
The result leaves the tie finely poised as the FUFA Super 8 continues later this week.
