Vipers search for answers as KCCA gaze at highway

Kampala- An interesting tale is actively punning out at the summit of the StarTimes Uganda Premier League (SUPL), where one is enjoying playing on two fronts and another still trying to make sense of certainty.

You have a KCCA outfit scoring goals for fun and soaring at the top of the league with seven points ahead of their closest rivals; a side that are pumping their chest in anticipation of potentially yet another refreshing run on the continent. On the other hand, defending champions Vipers are seeing their season unravel in different doses.

A season that started with a new coach, Mexican Javier Martinez Espinoza in place of a title winning tactician – Portuguese Miguel da Costa has seen the three-time champions struggle for coherency on and off the pitch. Espinoza was to be showed the exit after losing the dressing room and Vipers being dumped out of the Champions League, one competition that he was primarily hired for.

Since that defeat to Algerian club Constantine, the Venoms have failed to win their two league matches, hired Kenyan coach Michael Ouma, and returned their trusted servant in Edward Golola.

Golola, a two-time title winning coach with the club and last season as an assistant, and Ouma are charged with winning again today against Onduparaka and on Saturday in the Confederation Cup against Tunisia’s Sfaxien.

“I’m happy to be back where l belong and l think it is like the beginning of a new period. Do l have a different personality? No, but for sure l have a different approach and perspective,” said Golola ahead of a pivotal week for the club.

Any faltering against third-placed Onduparaka at St Mary’s Stadium would not only see them lose further ground on KCCA, who at 33 points are ahead of the Venoms by seven – but also enter the game against Sfaxien with more uncertainty.

And KCCA manager Mike Mutebi, whose side’s last outing was a 6-3 victory over Police last Friday, is not showing any mercy for his competitors as he takes his team to Namboole to face URA.

“I’m not worried and concerned by the merry go round at Vipers,” said Mutebi. KCCA are also using this match against URA to prepare for their Confederation Cup game against Congo’s Otoho d’Oyo in Brazzaville on Sunday, “We want to win and we respect URA.”

More than anyone Mutebi knows that his former colleague at Lugogo, Sam Ssimbwa - now in charge of URA – will have some game for him, but refuses to make that a topic.

“We have to continue with our winning streak, it is not about Mutebi and Ssimbwa, It’s about the players.”

Uganda Premier League
PLAYING TODAY
Vipers vs Onduparaka
St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende 4:00pm
Live on Sanyuka TV
Police vs SC Villa
StarTimes Stadium, Lugogo 4:30pm
URA vs KCCA
Namboole, 4:30pm
Tomorrow
Mbarara City vs Kirinya-Jinja SS
Kakyeka Stadium-Mbarara, 4:30pm
Thursday
Express vs Ndejje University
Muteesa II Stadium-Wankulukuku, 4pm
Live on Sanyuka TV
Bul vs Nyamityobora
Fufa Technical Centre -Njeru, 4:30pm
Paidha BA vs Maroons
Green Light Stadium-Arua
Tooro United vs Bright Stars
Buhinga Stadium-Fort Portal, 4:30pm
Caf Confederation Cup
Saturday, Jan. 12
Vipers (Uga) vs faxien (Tun)
Sunday Jan. 13
Otoho d’Oyo (Con) vs KCCA (Uga)

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