Vipers still work in progress after Moroni dull draw
Abuddahlah Hamid Ahmed El Makoun and Simba Ali Adhumdine of Volcan De Moroni of Comores challenge Tonny Odur of Vipers SC of Uganda during the 2017 Caf Confederation Cup on Saturday at Mandela Stadium, Namboole. Photo by Ismail Kezaala
What you need to know:
- Vipers head to Moroni, Comoros for the second leg of the Caf Confederation Cup against Volcan De Moroni next Saturday having played out dull 0-all draw at Nambole, Kampala.
- Vipers that are expected to travel to the Island nation on Thursday minus injured playmaker Mike Sserumaga, will enter residential training today at Namboole Hotel.
KAMPALA: Understandably Vipers were hit by stage fright in their Caf Confedaration Cup barren draw with Comoros side Volcano De Moroni on Saturday at Namboole.
They didn’t no only forsake their appealing style of play but also missed chances, nervously lost possession and failed to put up four coordinated passes - turning hurling long long balls in box.
This was their second attempt at continental football that demanded they win if they are to stand any chances of progressing to the second round and later group stages - as their pledge is.
“We are still trying to put up a solid team. We have new players and we have just played one league game together. Maybe we will achieve team unity as time goes on,” Vipers head coach Richard Wasswa revealed.
He remains optimistic that Vipers can overturn the tables in Comoros this Saturday in the return leg - if the boys are less timid.
“We are going to polish our striking line and go all out for victory in Comoros. We are going to assess our other strikers (Musa Esenu and Alfred Leku) so that we go with an improved side.”
Vipers’ attacking trio of Milton Kaliisa, Tony Odur and Erisa Ssekisambu missed a couple of chances and largely lacked a telepathic understanding upfront to unsettle the Moroni backline marshaled by Ahmed El Makoun, Ali Moidjei, Abdallah Allaoui and Habibu Yousouf.
Club skipper Nicholas Wadada leapt to the team’s disjointed and frustrating fight performance arguing that the visitors opted for a defensive ‘bus’ format that they can breakdown in Moroni.
“We will hurt them when they finally open up at home to find a goal, “ promised the Uganda Cranes right-back whose customary marauding runs were nipped in the bud over the weekend.
Mission accomplished - Moroni coach
Without mincing words, an overly excited Soumeith Ben Ahmed Ali boldly predicted the end of Vipers’ expediction on the continent.
“The results were better for us because we had never seen Vipers play.We had two options - victory or draw and we got one,” he said.
We are going to do all it takes to win at home. That said, I must admit that Vipers were the better side on Saturday.”
The winner between the two sides takes on Platinum Stars of South Africa or Uniao De Despotivo of Mozambique to get to the group stages.
Vipers that are expected to travel to the Island nation on Thursday minus injured playmaker Mike Sserumaga, will enter residential training today at Namboole Hotel.
