KAMPALA (Interstat) — Maroons scored three second-half goals Wednesday to beat Lugazi 3-0 in a football match, giving the home side a convincing win and a clean sheet. The match remained scoreless until the 57th minute, when Fred Amaku broke through for Maroons. Dickson Niwamanya added a second in the 75th minute, and M. Ogama scored again in the 78th minute. Lugazi could not answer, and its night grew worse in the 80th minute when Odong F. was sent off with a red card. Maroons protected the lead over the final minutes and finished with the win.

The first half ended without a goal, and Lugazi kept the match level until Amaku’s breakthrough after halftime. Once Maroons took the lead, the home side played with more confidence and created the chances that produced the second and third goals. Niwamanya’s finish in the 75th minute gave Maroons breathing room, and Ogama’s goal in the 78th minute put the result beyond reach. The three-goal burst came in a 21-minute span.

The victory moved Maroons to 1-0 in the competition and 1-0 across all competitions. Lugazi dropped to 0-1 in the competition and 0-1 across all competitions. The result gave Maroons a winning start and left Lugazi still seeking its first win of the season in both settings. Maroons also kept a clean sheet, while Lugazi finished the match without a goal.

Amaku was the first of Maroons’ key performers. He played 90 minutes and scored once. Niwamanya also played 90 minutes and scored once. Ogama played 90 minutes and scored once. Their contributions came with Amaku’s opener, Niwamanya’s second goal, and Ogama’s late finish. Amaku’s goal started the scoring, Niwamanya’s extended the advantage, and Ogama’s completed the home side’s output.

Maroons controlled the second half after a tight opening period. The home side found space more often as Lugazi pressed for an equalizer, and the gaps led to the second and third goals. Niwamanya struck in the 75th minute after Amaku’s earlier breakthrough. Ogama then scored in the 78th minute, three minutes after Niwamanya, to cap a rapid stretch of scoring. Lugazi’s defense, which had held firm for most of the first hour, could not withstand the pressure after the first goal.

Lugazi’s red card changed the closing stages. Odong F. was dismissed in the 80th minute, leaving the visitors with 10 players for the final stretch. The sending-off limited Lugazi’s ability to push forward in search of a consolation goal. Maroons, meanwhile, kept their shape and saw out the match without conceding. The red card came two minutes after Ogama’s goal, further reducing any chance of a Lugazi comeback.

The clean sheet was part of a complete home performance for Maroons. The team scored three unanswered goals and avoided any late drama after the red card. Lugazi, which had kept the match scoreless for more than 50 minutes, could not recover once Maroons took the lead. The defeat left Lugazi with no goals and no wins from its first competition match. Maroons, by contrast, made the most of their second-half opportunities and finished with a comfortable margin.

The result also gave Maroons a positive start across all competitions. With a 1-0 record in the competition and overall, the club will look to build on the win. Lugazi’s 0-1 records in both categories reflect a difficult beginning. The match turned on Maroons’ second-half finishing, as the home side turned a scoreless game into a three-goal victory. Maroons did not allow a goal after taking the lead and closed out the match with discipline.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Maroons 1, Lugazi 0. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Maroons with a 65.3 percent probability to win.