Sempigi has fiery Venoms antidote, Bul down Booma
Out Of Sight. Booma’s Chris Insigoma played his part but couldn’t do too much as his team was shown the exit door. PHOTO / JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
- The Kitara side audacious dreams and remarked fairytale run to the semis were handed a heavy blow and will now need more than a 4-0 miracle to overturn the deficit at Bugembe next week in the return leg. As early as the sixth minute, Simon Oketch was finishing off from a Karim Ndugwa timed cross.
In a thrilling show of bravado and intent, Alex Isabirye’s Bul made the Stanbic Uganda Cup semifinal tie against minnows Booma a no contest, as many had predicted. The first leg at the Masindi Municipal Stadium yesterday produced a 5-1 hammering by a rampaging Bul against a Booma side that is two tiers below.
The Kitara side audacious dreams and remarked fairytale run to the semis were handed a heavy blow and will now need more than a 4-0 miracle to overturn the deficit at Bugembe next week in the return leg. As early as the sixth minute, Simon Oketch was finishing off from a Karim Ndugwa timed cross.
In a bul-lish mood, the visitors netted a second in the tenth minute through midfielder Richard Wandyaka - as goals rained.
Two minutes later, the scoreline swelled to 3-0 as Oketch registered a brace, and the hosts feared for the worst.Booma’s attempt to fight back saw forward Leonard Mujuwa clinically finish off a loose ball but Bul were not relenting with Ibrahim Kazindula’s rich vein of form in the league coming to the fore as he punched a fourth nail into Booma’s coffin.
The daylight gap between the two sides was laid bare and it was a matter of time before Ndugwa’s penalty, after Kazindula was fouled in the box, sealed a healthy 5-1 first leg advantage. In the end, Bul’s burning desire to return to the cup final gained a crescendo as Booma’s bid to make the home final ( Uganda Cup finals will be held in Masindi next month) is almost dashed.
Dare to dream
The season Mbarara City have excelled in the Stanbic Uganda Cup has coincided with curtains coming down in the StarTimes StarTimes Uganda Premier League after a five year stint. Ankole Lions coach Sadiq Sempigi has decided to dwell on the former for motivation against holders and league champions-elect Vipers today at Kakyeka Stadium.
“We have much respect for Vipers but we also have the right strategy to get past them.
We are aware of their strength but our main objective is to go for final come what may. Our team is already relegated and we think it is a motivation to go forward in this tourney,” said Sempigi . He has personal pride to protect ahead of the daunting clash. “I have lost to Vipers only once in three attempts but this is a different kind of arrangement, you win or bust. We are coming with a different plan and they will be shocked,” Sempigi emphasised. Vipers beat Mbarara City 2-1 at home and 2-0 at Kitende in the league this season which gives them a physiological advantage.
That said, the hosts’ major flaws of a blunt attack and a leaky defence may come to haunt them against the most scoring side in the country. “We want to write history here at Vipers as the first batch of players to lift a league and cup double.
We are going all out to win at Kakyeka and make it easier in the return leg at St Mary’s Stadium Kitende. We have to work out the strategy as a unit to get victory and we firmly believe it is mission possible,” said Vipers’ Bobosi Byaruhanga.
