IVAN MINNAERT'S MAGIC: VIPERS' NEWFOUND CLARITY IS LEAGUE'S BIGGEST THREAT
Vipers SC are in scorching form and a win against Nec FC could temporarily send them top of the Uganda Premier League. Minnaert's tactical plan is working.
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Minnaert’s plan for the Venoms seems to be working. They’re playing with more clarity, moving the ball quickly, combining well, and attacking open space with ease.
Vipers come to Lugogo on Friday looking like a team at the top of their game. They’re playing with power and precision, ready to compete for the championship.
The current champions have won against Entebbe UPPC, Maroons, Express, UPDF, and KCCA. The only points they dropped were in a tough 1–1 tie with SC Villa. Now, they’ve climbed to fourth place with 16 points from six games.
A win against NEC could put Ivan Minnaert’s team at the top of the Uganda Premier League, at least for a day. After that, KCCA (17 points) will play Bul on Sunday, and SC Villa (17 points) will visit Maroons.
There’s a feeling of excitement around tonight’s game at the MTN Omondi Stadium-Lugogo. Vipers are in great form, while NEC is still getting used to their new coach, Badru Kaddu.
NEC is currently ninth with 10 points from eight games. Their performance has been up and down, with only one win in their last four games. But they have the potential to surprise Vipers, who need to be careful despite their strong form.
Minnaert’s plan is starting to pay off. The Venoms are playing with growing clarity, transitioning quickly, combining well, and taking full advantage of space.
Their recent 5–1 win against UPDF felt like a sign that the team is finally working together. Gusto Mulongo scored twice, Robin Kane hit a long-range shot, Milton Karisa finished instinctively, and Allan Okello showed his playmaking skills. This shows how much offensive talent the Vipers have.
With Usama Arafat’s movement and Yunus Sentamu’s scoring ability, Minnaert has one of the best forward lines in the league.
Nec’s challenge tonight is as much mental as it is physical. Kaddu has suggested they’re improving, praising the team’s play and highlighting players like Marvin Kavuma, who scored against Maroons and continues to lead NEC’s attack.
I see my players improving and playing better. We still need to score more. Our goal is to compete, so we need to be better against the Vipers. I hope Marvin can help us again as we try to reach the top, Kaddu said after the 1-1 draw with Maroons on Saturday.
But to stop Vipers, Nec needs to be stronger defensively, avoid mistakes, and be quick in transition.
Recent games between these teams have been mixed. In the last four matches, Vipers have won twice, there has been one draw, and NEC has won once. This shows that either team can win if things go their way.
NEC’s best chance is to frustrate Vipers early, keep Okello from controlling the game, and strike on the counter with forwards like Kavuma, Paul Mucureezi, Cromwell Rwothomio, and Charles Waibi.
Earlier, at the Bombo Barracks, Paul Kiwanuka's UPDF, third from the bottom with six points from eight matches, will play Lugazi, who are tenth with nine points from as many games.
KCCA BOUNCE BACK: KASASIRO BOYS OVERCOME RECENT SLUMP WITH A GRITTY 2-1 BUL WIN
KCCA are back: Discover how Ivan Ahimbisibwe and Herbert Achai secured a 2-1 win over Bul to rejoin the UPL title race.
Ivan Ahimbisibwe and Herbert Achai both found the net for KCCA, either side of a Denis Sewagudde goal, in a win that really should let coaches Ssenyondo and Jackson Magera breathe a little easier.
Zeal. Hunger. Character. Attitude. That’s what KCCA coach Brian Ssenyondo wanted to see after his team got handed their third loss in five games last week, a 3-1 defeat to NEC that stung. This time, he finally got it. KCCA showed all those qualities and pulled off a gritty 2-1 victory over Bul in the Uganda Premier League at Phillip Omondi Stadium on Wednesday night.
Ahimbisibwe and Achai scored for KCCA, with Sewagudde briefly levelling for Bul, and the result means Ssenyondo and Magera can at least feel the pressure lift for now.
But maybe more importantly, this win drags KCCA back into the title race. They’re now sitting on 33 points from 17 games, just five behind leaders Vipers.
The game started off tight, both sides feeling each other out, but Bul looked a little sharper early on. Even so, it was KCCA who broke the deadlock in the 31st minute with their first real chance. They overloaded the right, Saidi Mayanja whipped in a cross, and Ahimbisibwe, timing his run just right, dived in for a header. That’s his seventh goal of the season, and honestly, he’s been one of the few bright spots among the club’s new signings.
KCCA then had to dig in. Achai made a crucial block to deny Karim Ndugwa after a cross from Reagan Kalyowa. But just before halftime, the tricky Sewagudde bent in a free kick that completely wrong-footed KCCA keeper Mutwalibi Mugolofa, and Bul were level.
After the break, KCCA rediscovered their missing edge. Four minutes into the second half, left-back Achai stormed forward, played a quick one-two with Ashraf Mugume, then hammered the ball past Bul’s Ikara at the near post.
From there, KCCA held Bul at bay, sealing a rare home-and-away double over their Njeru-based rivals, who remain eighth on 20 points.
Earlier that day, Lugazi captain Richard Ayiko grabbed the winner as his side edged UPDF 1-0 in Najjembe, giving them a six-point cushion above the relegation zone. And at the bottom, Calvary finally picked up their fifth point of the season with a goalless draw against Express in Yumbe.
TITLE RACE HEAT: HOW VIPERS DROPPING HOME POINTS GIVES KITARA A CHANCE TO STRIKE
Vipers SC stay top of the UPL with 38 points! Discover how Warren Buule’s equaliser for NEC FC shook up the title race at Kitende.
NEC are stuck in seventh place with 24 points from 17 games. Vipers, even after dropping home points for just the second time this season, hang on to the top spot with 38.
Honestly, NEC have drawn more games than they'd like, nine out of 17. That’s a lot of stalemates in the Startimes Uganda Premier League. But this time, their 1-1 draw away to the reigning champs, Vipers, felt like more than just another point. It actually meant something, especially under the lights at St. Mary’s Stadium in Kitende on Tuesday evening.
Vipers came out flying. They grabbed the lead early and pretty much ran the first half. Six minutes in, Milton Karisa latched onto a slick through ball from Karim Watambala and curled a lovely left-footed shot past NEC keeper Hannington Ssebwalunyo. That was Karisa’s sixth goal of the season, and for a minute there, it looked like the Vipers were about to run riot, just like they did in their 4-0 demolition of Buhimba last time at home.
NEC looked shaky. Coach Badru Kaddu had seen enough and made two early changes, bringing on Shamir Kimwero and Joseph Dhata for Rashid Kawawa and Daniel Shabene inside 25 minutes. The switch helped steady things, but NEC didn’t really come to life until the second half.
Then, with 15 minutes left, substitute Emmanuel Kulanga swung in a cross, and Warren Buule was there at the far post to head in the equaliser. That goal was well earned; NEC were much better after the break. Richard Basangwa, playing up front, kept his old team busy and even got Bady Da Silva and Enoch Ssebagala booked. Ssebagala didn’t last much longer, getting subbed off after a rough tackle on his former side.
NEC has been busy in the mid-season transfer window. They’ve already added six new faces, and more are on the way. Sam Ssekamatte, who scored five goals for UPDF in the first round, watched from the stands with the rest of the unused squad.
So, NEC holds on to seventh, Vipers stay top, but Kitara could shake things up if they beat URA on Thursday. This title race isn’t done yet.
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