Africa-Press – Uganda. Even when they lost leading marksman Caeser Manzoki early on in the game, Vipers had the guts to produce a masterclass against an out-of-sorts Mbarara City yesterday at the St Mary’s Stadium Kitende.
You shudder to imagine the scoreline had goal-hungry Manzoki played more than the 20 minutes he did in the second leg of the Stanbic Uganda Cup in which the Venoms mauled the visitors 4-0.
Roberto Oliveira’s side carried a 2-1 lead from last week’s visit to Kakyeka and would progress to the final even with a draw.
Manzoki was at the end of Vipers’ first solemn goal attack and collided with Mbarara City defender Sulaiman Bamba as he leapt to head in a floating cross.It took custodian Muhammad Ssekeba a reflex save to deny the gangly forward who required immediate medical attention. The gruesome head injury, possibly a concussion, forced him to be stretched off the pitch and into the treatment room sending fears of his availability for next month’s final.He still leads the StarTimes Uganda Premier League top scorers log with 18 goals with a match left to play as Onduparaka’s Muhammad Shaban follows with 15 strikes.
Skipper Halid Lwaliwa nodded Bobosi Byaruhanga’s free-kick home to earn the home side a deserved lead on the second half resumption before midfielder Najib Yiga threaded a splitting pass to Milton Karisa to net the second with a first time shot ten minutes later.
Karisa then turned provider just when right-back Paul Willa had failed to kill off the contest with a simple tap-in, by providing an assist to striker Yunus Sentamu who finished off with relative ease.
Thrice, Mbarara City forced Vipers rookie goalkeeper Dennis Kigundu into making crucial saves but lacked the bite, composure and charisma of a serious competitor.
To show the gulf in class between the two sides, Vipers were relentless even in added minutes with substitute Paul Mucureezi teeing up Sentamu who cleverly controlled the ball to set up midfielder Bobosi Byaruhanga for the score card to read 4-0. Vipers progressed have for their sixth final appearance.
STANBIC UGANDA CUP
Semifinals – 1st leg results
Mbarara City 1-2 Vipers
Booma 1-5 Bul
Second leg; yesterday
Vipers 4-0 Mbarara City
Today
Bul vs. Booma, 3pm
Bugembe Stadium
Final: June 12
Masindi Municipal Stadium
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