Seven-star Vipers

Vipers clinched their seventh StarTimes Uganda Premier League title with a commanding 2-0 victory over Kitara at Royal Park in Butema, Hoima on Wednesday.

The Venoms were made to wait for four days after losing 1-0 to Bul on Saturday which fueled the team’s conviction and purpose. 

Co-coach John 'Ayala' Luyinda ensured that they approached the showdown against the Royals with a mission to settle the score, to finish the job for a third crown in four years.

They attained an unassailable 68 points, four more than second-placed Nec who beat SC Villa 1-0. There is one more league game to play.  

Since Vipers won their first league title as Bunnamwaya in 2009/10, no team has won more. In that period, KCCA have won five, Express two, URA and SC Villa one each.

The Entebbe road side are now level with Express on seven league titles. Only KCCA (13) and SC Villa (17) have won more.

They could as well clinch a second league and cup double. Vipers lead Kitara 1-0 from the semifinal first leg with the return fixture set for this Saturday in Hoima.

Villa (1986, 1988, 1989, 1998, 2000, 2002), Express (1995), KCCA (2016/17) and Vipers (2022/23) are the other sides to manage the feat.

Even though Wasswa Bbosa’s Kitara opted for a slightly weakened starting XI - clearly saving legs for Saturday’s Stanbic Uganda Cup semifinal return leg - the Venoms were in no mood for mercy.

Gusto Mulongo broke the deadlock, pouncing on a loose ball fumbled by Kitara’s stand-in goalkeeper Jamil Yawe after Allan Okello’s teasing free-kick rattled the defence in the 15th minute.

Then came the killer blow. In the 68th minute, Yunus Sentamu struck with ruthless precision, putting the final nail in the hosts’ coffin - a goal that sent ripples as far as Wankulukuku, where Nec, Vipers’ closest challengers, were toiling to a narrow 1-0 win over dethroned champions SC Villa.

By the final whistle in Butema, Nec fans following updates online knew it was over. Vipers were not just champions - they were emphatically in seventh heaven. 

Interestingly, Congolese import Mulongo has developed a knack for showing up when Vipers need him most.

His goals have come like lifelines - rescuing the Venoms against Express in the 2-2 draw at Nakivubo and now thrusting them into the lead when it mattered most against Kitara.

Simply put, Vipers’ match-winners have mastered the art of timing their brilliance. If it’s not 18-goal hero Okello weaving his magic today, it’s Milton Karisa rising to the occasion the next day—or Sentamu rolling back the years to remind everyone why the Venoms continue to reign supreme.

Elsewhere, Villa clinched their 17th league title with a 2-0 win over Nec on the final day of last season.

And for long periods at the Muteesa II Stadium in Wankulukuku, Villa played like they were returning the favour.

Several times, impressive build up play orchestrated by midfielder Elvis Ngonde was not matched by the quality of finishing including a three against one opportunity on the break fluffed when Hassan Mubiru shot straight at Nec goalkeeper Hannington Sebwalunyo in the first half.

Striker Andrew Otim was also guilty of a couple of misses before Nec finally punished them on 65 minutes against the run of play.

Enock Ssebagala crossed for substitute Dickson Niwamanya who headed back across goal for what turned out to be the winner.

But in the end the damage to their title aspirations had ultimately been done after dropping points in their final five games losing 3-1 to title rivals Vipers and in the 1-all draw against third placed Bul.

StarTimes Uganda Premier League

Results

Kitara 0-2 Vipers

SC Villa 0-1 Nec

KCCA 5-0 Lugazi

Bul 1-0 Maroons