Villa desperate to end poor run against Vipers
Forward and league MVP FarouK Miya is Vipers’ engine. Photo by Ismail Kezaala
KAMPALA- Wikipedia tells us of Vipers as a family of venomous snakes found all over the world; all boasting of relatively long, hinged fangs that permit deep penetration and injection of venom.
SC Villa are one of the unfortunate victims of that venom since Vipers SC’s promotion to Uganda’s topflight league in 2006.
Villa did beat Vipers home and away in the latter’s first season up, and dismissed them again at home in 2007 and in 2009.
But it has since been one way traffic, coach Edward Golola’s Vipers beating Villa five times and drawing as many.
Ending that poor record is what coach Antonio Flores, imported from Spain this season to try and restore Villa’s glory days, will attempt when the Jogoos host Vipers in the Azam Uganda Premier League (UPL) at Namboole today.
New Villa squad
Villa defender Jonathan Mugabi, an offseason acquisition from URA, knows the history between the two clubs and reckons the new-look Jogoos are determined to make things right.
“Most of us are new and that talk of our record against Vipers has been doing rounds,” Mugabi told Daily Monitor. “But we are more than determined this time and we shall do our best to win the game.”
Yet an ‘enemy from within’ will be doing his best to ensure the run continues.
Arguably Villa’s best player last season, and now a venomous Viper having opened his account against KCCA last week, Erisa Ssekisambu promises his former employers a tough encounter.
“We need to register a win and go on top of the table,” Ssekisambu told his club’s website.
“As a team our targets are clear - defend the league title, and that will be achieved (not only) if we register wins against the smaller teams but also (against) those that have the same ambitions like us. Villa is one of those teams.”
Vipers are joint top with KCCA on 11 points after five matches while Villa are a distant 11th with eight points having played the same matches as the pace-setters.
Saddam Juma, Alfred Leku and Musa Malunda are available for Vipers after recovering from injury but they will again look to Farouk Miya, four goals to his name, and Keziron Kizito for inspiration.
Godfrey Lwesibawa and Karim Ndugwa are the men Flores will bank on to breach Vipers rearguard.
