Africa-Press – Uganda. Title rivals Vipers and KCCA face off on Friday night at St Mary’s Stadium-Kitende in an explosive fixture that could shape the destiny of the StarTimes Uganda Premier League trophy.
KCCA attacking midfielder Moses Waiswa, who shot to fame at Vipers, could yet be the centrepiece of this showdown if his latest revival under Jackson Mayanja is anything to go by.
Back in 2018, Waiswa dazzled for the Venoms as they rode to the league crown, won the Fufa best footballer accolade and crowned it up with a lucrative professional move to SuperSport United in South Africa.
Second-placed KCCA, with 45 points from 23 matches, will cherish a bit of that phenomenonal Waiswa, who created scoring opportunities and took away set pieces with relative ease.
Much as he can at times decide matches on his own, Waiswa’s temperamental attitude and fitness levels often let him down and that expounds why his career took a downward trajectory in the last two years.
Psyched up with telling performances against SC Villa and Gaddafi which earned him praise from Mayanja, Waiswa knows the kind of hostile reception that awaits him at Kitende, where he was once a darling.
“Even before I came back to this club, I knew that Waiswa was a good playmaker. I’m happy to see him doing that on the pitch now alongside Allan Okello and Julius Poloto,” Mayanja revealed.
The coach was blamed for giving match attention to the Vipers do or die contest and accused of withdrawing Okello and Saidi Mayanja as KCCA led 2-0 only to allow Onduparaka force a 2-all draw at Lugogo on Tuesday.
Alex Isabirye’s Vipers trounced Gaddafi 2-0 that same day to go to 42 points from 22 matches in third place to stay in the title conversation.
To the delight of both KCCA and Vipers, the third challenger SC Villa’s hopes faded further after losing 1-0 to Maroons on Wednesday and stayed on 46 points with three matches left to play.
Beware of Lawal
It will be on-song Nigerian forward cum midfielder Abubakar Lawal pulling the proverbial strings for the home side like he has done in the last four matches.
From living a despondent life before Isabirye’s arrival to being the club’s go-to goal source, the former AS Kigali net-banger now thrives in the creative role behind the lead forward and plays with aplomb.
Vipers had bossed the last six league encounters until KCCA won 1-0 in October last year at Lugogo but a lot of water has gone under the bridge since then mostly notable, a spell of managerial changes in both camps.
Both sides are still bereft of recognisable playing styles but the urge to win, the clubs feuding, player calibre, Mayanja’s ego and Isabirye’s pragmatic style may serve a fascinating spectacle under the Kitende night lights.
StarTimes Uganda Premier League
Friday, 7pm
Vipers vs. KCCA, St Mary’s Stadium Kitende
Vipers vs. KCCA last 7 meetings
22/10/22: KCCA 1 – 0 Vipers
16/04/22: KCCA 1 – 2 Vipers
05/12/21: Vipers 2 – 2 KCCA
09/05/21: KCCA 1 – 2 Vipers
17/03/21: Vipers 1 – 0 KCCA
18/02/20: Vipers 0 – 0 KCCA
16/11/19: KCCA 1 – 0 Vipers
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