Vipers defeat Express amid fan violence
An Express fan is taken away by good samaritans after he was accidentally injured by his fellow Red Eagles fans, who were hurling missiles at journalists in Buikwe yesterday. He was rushed to Kawolo Hospital in critical condition. Photo by Ismail Kezaala
Buikwe/Kampala. There had been fears that the Shs10m Express received from Vipers patron Lawrence Mulindwa, a renown Red Eagles fan, would have an effect on yesterday’s crunch Uganda Premier League game.
In the end though, it were the match officials that appeared compromised according to the visiting side’s coach Wasswa Bossa as Express went down 1-0 to Vipers at Buikwe courtesy of a late Sadam Juma strike.
“We played against 14 men,” the Express coach ranted after the game. The result saw the two teams exchange positions with Vipers now second on the log with 49 points, a game and three points behind leaders KCCA.
Express stay third on 48 points, four behind KCCA with both teams left with three games to end the season. “We were more enterprising today and created many scoring opportunities. The title race though is still open,” Vipers coach George Nsimbe said after the game.
His team’s goal arrived after goalkeeper Ali Kigundu parried Erisa Ssekisambu’s strike for Juma to net the rebound.
That was cue for Expres fans to pelt stones at Vipers players an act that went on till after the game with one person feared dead following skirmishes outside the ground.
At Nakivubo SC Villa, the other side left with a mathematical chance of catching the leaders, were felled by a double from striker George Senkaaba in a 2-0 home loss to the Saints.
The result hugely boosted the latter’s survival chances. Saints are now eight points ahead of the bottom three clubs that will be relegated at the end of the season with three games left.
