Unrelenting Okello fuels Vipers' title hunt

The playmaker, in the form of his life, struck the all-important goal to push Vipers to 43 points from 18 matches, cementing their position at the summit.

After the pulsating encounter, Okello took to his X platform with a heartfelt tribute: “It is for Lawal.” Vipers are now three points ahead of second placed Nec.

With club captain Milton Karisa absent, the stand-in skipper has shouldered the responsibility with aplomb, dragging the Venoms into pole position with his match-winning brilliance.

Mbabazi no show

Okello, unfazed by the weight of the moment, stepped up in the 66th minute and coolly dispatched his penalty, sending goalkeeper Abdul Kimera the wrong way to  tighten his grip at the summit of the goal-scoring charts. 

The spot-kick was awarded after striker Yunus Sentamu was brought down in the box, leaving the referee with no choice but to point to the spot despite vociferous protests from Mbarara City players. 

With Okello’s clinical finish, Vipers secured their 13th victory in 18 matches, inching ever closer to their seventh league crown as the business end of the season looms.

Meanwhile, it was another night to forget for Mbarara City, who, without  coach  Livingstone Mbabazi on the touchline for inexplicable reasons, slumped to their eighth defeat of the campaign.

Stuck in 12th place with 20 points, the Ankole Lions are now staring down the barrel of a relegation scrap.

Same old KCCA, Villa

KCCA’s woes in the league went from bad to worse on Sunday as they stumbled to a goalless draw against Maroons  in Luzira - a result that only deepened the gloom hanging over Lugogo. 

The Kasasiro Boys have been in freefall, their title aspirations crumbling like a house of cards, with just one win in their last 11 league outings - a controversial 2-1 triumph over Wakiso Giants back on December 15, 2024.

That solitary spark of joy has since been overshadowed by a string of uninspiring performances, leaving head coach Abdallah Mubiru skating on thin ice.

KCCA’s slump has seen them plummet to seventh place on the log with a meager 25 points, a yawning 18-point gap separating them from leaders Vipers. 

Their biggest Achilles’ heel has been a blunt attack, with profligacy in front of goal costing them dearly. 

In Bombo, UPDF settled an old score in emphatic fashion, avenging their humiliating first-round thrashing with a commanding 2-0 victory over SC Villa. 

The army side, stung by their earlier 5-0 drubbing, turned the tables with a disciplined and clinical display, sealing all three points through a 13th-minute strike from Daniel Kitara and a well-taken goal by Brian Kalumba in the 77th minute.

This hard-fought triumph marked UPDF’s second consecutive win, catapulting them to ninth place on 24 points - level with Villa but edging ahead on goal difference. 

Villa’s rollercoaster season continues to frustrate, their inability to string together consistent performances leaving them stuck in mid-table mediocrity under the tutelage of Morley Byekwaso.

StarTimes Uganda Premier League

Results

Maroons 0-0 KCCA

UPDF 2-0 SC Villa

Vipers 1-0 Mbarara City

Nec 2-0 Lugazi