Sentamu leads Vipers Uganda Cup charge
Sentamu is pushing Vipers in the Cup. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
The striker has scored just four goals in a campaign where they are in a prime position to clinch a seventh league crown as they hold a five point cushion with four games left.
Yunus Sentamu has had a disappointing season in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League.
The striker has scored just four goals in a campaign where they are in a prime position to clinch a seventh league crown as they hold a five point cushion with four games left.
There was little surprise therefore that he began Saturday’s Stanbic Uganda Cup semifinal first leg against Kitara on the bench until the final 16 minutes of the match.
Having replaced Pedro Sukuya in the 74th minute, the striker showed why he remains a fan favourite at the Kitende-based club with an improvised bicycle finish in the sixth minute of added time to deliver 1-0 first leg advantage.
This was after Kitara twice failed to clear a long Hillary Mukundane punt forward with Sentamu’s strike deflecting off Ronald Otti to break Kitara’s resistance.
The goal was his third in this season’s Uganda Cup having scored the opener in the 2-0 win over Mbarara at the round-of-32 stage.
He also opened the scoring in the 3-0 round-of-16 stage win over Blacks Power before Milton Karisa scored the lone goal that eliminated Villa in the previous round.
Until Sentamu’s introduction Vipers had puffed and huffed and despite enjoying more possession in the second half had struggled for clear-cut opportunities.
Isaac Ogwang looped a header just over the bar in the opening 10 minutes while Allan okello who volleyed wide after being teed up by Karim Watambala on 42 minutes.
Vipers’ captain Milton Karisa then saw a low volleyed effort kept out by goalkeeper Chrispus Kusiima’s feet in first half added time while Pedro Sukuya flashed a shot across goal when set up by Okello in the second half.
By then Vipers were only getting a stronghold on possession after a first half in which they should have fallen behind as a couple of Jude Ssemugabi crosses caused trouble.
First he set up Patrick Kaddu who should have scored with a header only for the striker to see his effort come off the cross-bar and the later failed to make proper connection from another right wing cross.
Ssemugabi was also guilty of a lack of composure after latching onto a searching Frank Tumwesigye pass but shooting across goal from a promising position on the right.
A change in approach in the second half saw them on the defensive for large parts before Sentamu’s effort left them reeling ahead of the second leg 11 days ahead.
Stanbic Uganda Cup
Semifinal first leg
Vipers 1-0 Kitara
