Mubiru laments as Venoms turn fangs

Vipers extended their lead at the summit with a commanding 2-0 victory under the floodlights at the Philip Omondi Stadium, a result that all but extinguished KCCA’s fading title aspirations. 

With second-placed Nec conceding late in a 1-1 draw against Police at Kavumba earlier, Vipers surged to 40 points from 17 games, their venomous attack proving too much for KCCA’s frail backline.

Well taken goals from Yunus Sentamu and Allan Okello sealed the monumental win, leaving Mubiru ruing his side’s wastefulness and lack of belief. 

The beleaguered KCCA boss made changes - sending Haruna Lukwago and Brian Ijara on for Sserunjogi and Mujjuzi. In a desperate bid to turn the tide, but the damage had already been done. 

Three days after being hurt by Hussein Mbalangu’s Nec at the same venue, KCCA once again found themselves second best, their season unraveling with every passing game.

Not good enough

Mubiru was candid about KCCA’s struggles, acknowledging their shortcomings while clinging to faint hopes of a Vipers collapse in the near future. 

The under-fire tactician lamented his team’s inefficiency in both boxes, pointing to key moments that swung the game away from his side.

“We have tried, but football is a game of moments, and those moments ultimately determine the outcome,” Mubiru reflected.

“We had a clear penalty shout (when Etienne Katenga clashed with Vipers’ goalkeeper Alfred Mudekereza) but it was waved away. We are doing our best to keep the players focused, but there is a lingering belief among them that we are being treated unfairly. It unsettles them, leading to lapses in concentration," he added.

With forwards Derrick Nsibambi and Sadat Anaku barely making an impact, Mubiru is nearly naked at the moment.

“We have dropped points in games we should have won, and like in our previous match, we lacked sharpness in the final third - it remains a major concern for us. 

"But we shall keep working hard. Any team can go through a rough patch. Just as we are enduring ours, Vipers can also hit a slump because the league is a marathon, not a sprint,” he revealed. 

Fans fury

KCCA are enduring a catalogue of problems, all ruthlessly exposed by the Venoms under the Lugogo lights. 

Missing seven key players for such a crucial encounter, they lacked both depth and cohesion. Off the pitch, a reported petition to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over their Mbarara City points’ loss has only added to the distractions. 

On the field, the side appears devoid of a recognizable playing style, stumbling through a torrid nine-game stretch with just one victory - against a struggling Wakiso Giants. 

Their blunt attack has mustered a meager 16 goals, while a brittle backline has shipped 13.

The clock is ticking for Mubiru in his second stint at the club. With each passing game, the pressure mounts, and unless he engineers a drastic turnaround, he risks facing the full wrath of an increasingly restless KCCA faithful.