Vipers end KCCA’s home run
What you need to know:
- The Venoms, who won the first round encounter 2-1 at Nakivubo, made history by
becoming the first team to defeat KCCA on the artificial turf at the Phillip Omondi Stadium
Kampala.
KCCA’s unbeaten home run stopped at the 17th attempt and on a day Vipers completed a double over the Azam Uganda Premier League leaders (UPL) at Phillip Omondi Stadium last evening.
Tony Odur and Geoffrey Wasswa scored the second half goals to cancel out Geoffrey Sserunkuma’s opener in the opening period as the visitors, even if for a moment, allowed SC Villa to hope again.
The 2-1 win sees Vipers go two up to third on 42 points, six behind KCCA in first and second-placed Villa.
KCCA, however, have six games left to play as compared to Villa’s four and Vipers’ five.
Mike Mutebi’s KCCA could have wrapped up the league title with victory over JMC next Tuesday, assuming they had won yesterday and against Express on Friday. That would have had to also be supplemented by Villa failing to get maximum points off Police on Friday. “I am not bothered,” said Mutebi of the title charge setback, “Our target remains to win the title. It was a schoolboy performance.”
His counterpart, Portuguese Jorge da Costa, claimed not to be overly enthused about beating KCCA.
“Beating KCCA here is not important,” said Da Costa, “We won a great match. “The win is for my players. I told you I have the best players in the world and you laughed.” And don’t laugh, please!
There was little to write about in the early stages of the opening half, until KCCA skipper Denis Okot whipped in a tricky ball from the right.
Wadada punished
Vipers goalkeeper Ismail Watenga did his best to parry it away with a KCCA player relentlessly chasing the crumbs that the visitors skipper, Nicholas Wadada, was trying to protect.
Instead Wadada was forced into handling in the area, leaving the referee with no option but to point to the spot.
Sserunkuma stepped forward and sent Watenga the wrong way for his 18th league goal of the season, grabbed inside 20 minutes.
The goal seemed to have awoken the hosts, Muzamir Mutyaba receiving the ball at the centre circle amidst a sea of Vipers players.
The midfielder stepped on it with his left, then spun on it with his right before releasing it down the left. The crowd cheered and Mutebi nodded in approval.
Vipers were, however, not watching on and applauding, youngster Frank Tumwesigye, Keziron Kizito and Moses Waisswa indulging in some intricate one-touch football from the centre to goal, only not the net. KCCA returned from the break determined to double their advantage, first half replacement of Tom Masiko, Paul Mucureezi, laying on for Isaac Muleme, whose ferocious left foot shot from inside the penalty area ricocheted off the crossbar.
With Vipers coach Da Costa shouting his voice horse on the touchline, the visitors upped the ante.
Odur seized possession on the left after a rare Timothy Awany error, outsprinted yellow shirts into the box before curving a fine ball past an on-rushing Benjamin Ochan into the top corner on 65 minutes for 1-1.
Vipers were now in ascendancy, pouring forward in waves. The pressure paid off 19 minutes from full time, Ochan failing to handle from a corner and Wasswa lifting it over the grounded and hapless goalkeeper for a 2-1 lead.
Derrick Nsibambi and Sserunkuma had opportunities to rescue a point for the hosts but Vipers defence stood firm to keep the title race just alive.
Azam Uganda Premier League
Yesterday’s result
KCCA 1-2 Vipers
G. Sserunkuma 15 Tony Odur 65
G. Wasswa 71
