Perfect revenge

For the first time this season, StarTimes Uganda Premier League champions Vipers were forced to expose their nakedness and kneel down for a better opponent.
Edible oil makers Bul were simply too slippery for Roberto Oliveira’s Venoms to contend with in the 3-1 Stanbic Uganda Cup final played at the Masindi Municipal Stadium yesterday.

From the first whistle by Fifa referee William Oloya, it was apparent that Alex Isabirye’s well grilled charges had the most appropriate game approach, won the fitness battle with ease and were oiled by the will to avenge last year’s humiliation in the final.
After Vipers midfielder Najib Yiga hit the woodwork early on, Bul responded by drawing the first blood through marksman Karim Ndugwa’s powerful header off Regan Kalyowa cross on 28 minutes.
The Eastern Giants valiantly took the game to Vipers and soon defender Walter Ochora initiated a counterattack, fed Hillary Onek on the right, and when the  winger crossed from the right, Simon Oketch doubled the money on 42 minutes.

From bad to worse
To complicate Vipers torrid afternoon, right-back Paul Willa was stretchered off for midfielder Musa Ssali to play as a makeshift defender. This turned out to be suicidal with Vipers off-colour defence left to defend at sixes and sevens and  Kalyowa having Ssali for a meal for the remainder of the match.
Bul’s well oiled machine was relentless even in the second half, with Oketch turning Ssali inside out to cleverly set up Ndugwa for his second and club’s third.

At 3-0 on 53 minutes, Vipers gasped for breathe, were lost in the long ball approach and sought for a redeemer as the much anticipated contest was turning into a lopsided mauling.
Defender Halid Lwaliwa pulled one back for Vipers on 70 minutes after heading in substitute Bright Anukani’s free-kick but Bul’s three-man defence of Ochora, Richard Ayiko and Douglas Muganga was resolute in front of goalkeeper Emmanuel Kalyowa, who was imperious in foiling Vipers.

Vipers exude fatigue
For some reason Vipers were out of their usual shells and reliable forwards Ceaser Manzoki, Yunus Sentamu and Milton Karisa looked haggard and impotent.
Bul arrived in Masindi on Tuesday morning and camped at the match venue while Vipers touched base a day to the finals.

“We looked back at the three matches we had played Vipers and rightly noted they use the long ball and second ball approach to beat us.
“We stopped their wingers from delivering crosses, man-marked their forwards and pressed them in our 3-5-3 system to come out top today, “ Isabirye told Daily Monitor.

He bagged his third Uganda Cup trophy after the 2012 victory with URA and 2013 conquest with defunct Victoria University.
Interestingly, all the three victories have come against Vipers who had dared to dream of a maiden league and cup double.

Historic
Bul cut its teeth

Having finished fourth in the league and powering to their maiden Uganda Cup trophy, this ranks as Bul’s biggest season ever. A berth at next season’s Caf Confederation Cup and Shs50m prize bonus makes Bul’s victory tastier. Bul dominated the awards category with Karim Ndugwa picking the top scorers’ gong, Simon Peter Oketch the best midfielder award, Emmanuel Kalyowa the best shots topper and Walter Ochora the best defender.
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