Fixing shaky defence Vipers priority
Vital away goal. Martinez will demand more of Ndugga while away from home as he fixes his defence. PHOTO BY EDDIE CHICCO
What you need to know:
- Soccer. Vipers have yet to play to their full potential under Mexican tactician Javier Martinez Espinoza. Their defence has been the biggest letdown.
- But Espinoza believes they can get the desired result against Algerian champions Constantine. Vipers advanced after eliminating Sudanese giants Al Merrikh in the preliminaries
KAMPALA. The plain truth is that Vipers under Mexican tactician Javier Martinez are yet to play to their full potential this season.
Their inconsistences in the first team selection will be exacerbated by the ab-sence of key fundamental players – defender Geoffrey Wasswa and holding midfielder Taddeo Lwanga when they take on Algeria champions CS Constan-tine this evening in the Caf Champions League at the Stade Mohamed-Hamlaoui.
Vipers have conceded six goals in the last six matches which points to their de-fensive frailties ahead of a continental date with the Algerians that have netted seven goals in their last six matches.
Martinez’s assistant Moses Oloya yesterday told Daily Monitor of the team’s readiness to ‘accomplish the Algeria mission’.
“We are mentally ready to get a good result here and finish them off at home. The boys are already used to the environment here and the fact that they will be battling minus Wasswa and Lwanga,” he said from Algiers. The same belief is shared by suspended skipper Lwanga; “On Monday, the team had a chance to watch a video of CS Constantine against Gamtel (from Gambia).”
“They are team that wants to attack through the flanks and at a high speed but they have weaknesses we can exploit,” Lwanga revealed.
Whereas Vipers ejected Sudanese side Al Merriekh (2-2 on aggregate) in the first round, CS Constantine needed an away goal to eliminate Gamtel 1-0 on aggregate).
“Clubs from North Africa are no longer intimidating like in the past. I think ei-ther Rahmat Ssenfuka or Brian Nkuubi can ably fill my slot and Ibrahim Ki-yemba comes in for Wasswa as we go for a win,” he added. Without the duo, Vipers’s defensive shield will be up to a risky task of stopping the hosts at-tacking trident of Yacine Salhi, Ahmed Gagaa and Mohamed Lotfi.
His latest goal scoring heroics against Police and Al Merriekh notwithstanding, Martinez is likely to start experienced goal poacher Dan Sserunkuma on the bench again in favour of the speedy Tito Okello as he goes for a counter at-tacking approach in Algeria.
Should Vipers get past Abdelkader Amrani’s side after the return leg at st Mary’s Stadium-Kitende next week, they will earn Shs2bn for making the lu-crative group stage.
Vipers probable XI:
Bashir Ssekagya (GK), Ibrahim Kiyemba, Livingstone Mulondo,Halid Lwalilwa, Yayo Lutimba, Moses Waiswa, Rahmat Ssenfuka, Brian Nkuubi, Abraham Ndugwa, Noah Wafula and Tito Okello.
