Africa-Press – Uganda. CASABLANCA. Goalkeeper Alfred Mudekereza started it by committing a howler. He then handed Raja Casablanca a gift they didn’t need.
It was the nightmare start for Ugandan league champions Vipers on their Caf Champions League group stage début.
In the end, the 5-0 drubbing under the Friday night lights at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca was embarrassing.
However, it was entirely unexpected, even in an empty stadium as the three-time African champions are serving a stadium ban following violence here last year.
The welcome to this level is often rude. This was a throwback to the 90s. Back then, Uganda sides only came to North Africa to receive thrashings.
At that time, the Venoms were a lower division side called Bunnamwaya. Days like this looked distant. They are a reality now.
A dance with African football royalty requires more than just a physical presence. It needs mental fortitude.
In a quiet stadium, this was a lonely place for Mudekereza. There were many other ways to start the game.
The way he started this one buried any hopes Vipers had before they could wipe any sweat.
His heroics in their triumph against five-time African champions TP Mazembe in the previous round could fade in the memory of some.
Acquired last July, Mudekereza totally lost his bearings as forward Hamza Khabba headed a seemingly aimless long ball into an empty net in the fifth minute from outside the penalty area.
In the 11th minute, the Congolese custodian parried a tame shot into the path of defender Jamal Harkass to add a second.
The defenders’ turn to go missing came as midfielder Mohamed Zrida, the orchestra-in-chief, added a third off Yousri Bouzok’s cut back.
The game was done and this was only 38 minutes. Vipers’ new coach Beto Bianchi, only in his second competitive game, made three changes at the break.
The ineffective trio of Abdu Lumala, Ashraf Mandela and Karim Watambla was replaced by Yunus Sentamu, Omajondo Osomba and Desire Tety respectively.
Clearly, the Raja coach Mondher Kebaier opted for preservation.
Now playing in first gear, Khabba played a crisp through pass for Bouzok to lob over an on-rushing Mudekereza just before the hour mark.
Amid a catalogue of changes, Togolese midfielder Roger Aholou completed the roasting with a glossy fifth on 71 minutes.
On Thursday, Raja’s final training session at the club’s academy was relaxed and cheerful. The game mirrored it.
With Vipers registering one attempt on target, the scoreline could have been worse.
Defender Livingstone Mulondo, an 80th minute substitute for Bright Anukani, only had enough time to double the yellow card count to two.
In the end, Vipers were glad to leave Casablanca having avoided the 7-0 annihilation SC Villa suffered at the hands of FUS Rabat, another Moroccan side, in the 2016 Caf Confederation Cup.
The chance to atone for the humiliation is next Saturday when Guinea’s Horoya visit the St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende for the second game in group C.
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