Africa-Press – Uganda. Thrown in at the deep end, Vipers interim coach Paul Kiwanuka must float or sink with the Venoms.
His former boss Fred Kajoba, who lured him from Bright Stars at the start of the season, threw in the towel on Monday with Vipers two points off the pace set by the StarTimes Uganda Premier League (SUPL) leaders Express but with still a firm grip in the Stanbic Uganda Cup.
This afternoon, Kiwanuka will lead the Venoms to Bombo Barracks Stadium to wrestle a delicately poised Uganda Cup quarterfinal second leg tie from hosts SC Villa who laboured for a 1-1 at Kitende.
“We trust the technical team (Kiwanuka, Fred Mugerwa and Daniel Male) to do the job and that is the club stand as of now. Management is going to sit immediately to decide on the next course of action,” said Vipers CEO Peter Njuba.
Kiwanuka, cut from the same strong-minded cloth as Kajoba and one not to wallow in self-pity, seems equipped to occupy the hot seat.
“It won’t be an easy game but we know what we want. We are going to score goals, the players are ready and know that the coach left the job but they are still focused on achieving the team goals even if the head coach is not around,” Kiwanuka, who is still sweating on striker Yunus Ssentamu’s fitness, revealed.
Villa gets timely boostHis Villa counterpart Edward Kaziba is not reading too much into Kajoba’s absence but rather feels Vipers is still a daunting side with Kiwanuka in charge – because he has the necessary experience.
“The away goal we got in the 1-1 draw at St Mary’s Stadium was vital. Our strategy will be; if we don’t win, we should not concede. “We are even better now that Meddie Kibirige (goalkeeper) and Emma Wasswa (midfielder) are back from the national beach soccer team,” Villa coach Kaziba stressed.
Villa will miss Andrew Kiwanuka, Goffin Oyirwoth, Abdallah Salim and Benson Muhindo through injuries while skipper Asuman Harishe is still suspended for speaking to the media about the club’s financial woes.
Quarterfinal return
leg – Today, 3:30pmSC Villa (1) vs. (1) VipersBombo Military BarracksLive on UBC/ Star TVLast 5 Cup meetings2008/09 seasonFirst Leg: Vipers 0-2 SC Villa2nd Leg: SC Villa 0-1 Vipers2017/18 seasonFirst Leg: SC Villa 0-0 Vipers2nd Leg: Vipers SC 1-0 Villa2020/21 seasonFirst Leg: Vipers 1-1 SC Villa
