Africa-Press – Uganda. The primary reason why Vipers reigned supreme on judgment day on Saturday, better than KCCA and SC Villa that endangered their throne, is their near-perfect home record.
Interestingly, all the five losses the Venoms have incurred in the just concluded StarTimes Uganda Premier League campaign have come on the road – against KCCA, Gaddafi, Busoga United, Soltilo Bright Stars and SC Villa.
That informed the self-assured mood multitudes of Vipers fans wore as they descended on St Mary’s Stadium Kitende to rally their boys on Saturday praying that things go south for SC Villa at Wankululuku.
By the time URA defender Najib Fesali scored past SC Villa with a bullet header on 60 minutes at Wanklulukuku, Alex Isabirye’s Venoms were in cruise control over visiting Busoga United at Kitende.
Abubakar Lawal’s double, marinated with strikes from Yunus Sentamu, substitute Martin Kizza and Bright Anukani in the 5-0 decimating of hapless Busoga were each greeted with championship winning screams.
But Fesali’s goal received the loudest cheers at Kitende that lasted about two minutes as the trophy destiny now firmly lay in the hosts’ grip.
Because of a better goal difference – six – few cared to fret about KCCA’s audacious 5-0 humbling of Soltilo Bright Stars at Lugogo or the fact that both teams tied on 53 points from 28 matches.
Vipers, winners in 2010, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2023 have managed to retain the trophy for the first time – thanks for an enviable squad depth and an unadulterated belief.
Chopper trophy
Fufa and the league secretariat went out of their comfort to unleash another novelty – delivering the trophy amidst pomp from the hired chopper that majestically landed at the outer pitch.
Moses Magogo, the federation head, led the chopper cast that handed the trophy to former Uganda Cranes defender Geoffrey Buhokore at the stadium entrance who delivered it to the pitch center for handover.
The stadium was already in a delirium as fans and players frantically joined to jubilate Vipers’ sixth league trophy in 13 years – a manifestation of a behemoth the Entebbe Road club has become.
The hunger for more silverware was evident amongst the administrators and players personified best by club president Lawrence Mulindwa’s reported Shs100m ‘thank you’ token to the winning team.
It was nostalgic watching a suited up Mulindwa joining a cosmopolitan and charged up dressing room to dance to victory beats as the party mood went snaked into the night.
Double in sight for Isabirye
Vipers have less time to rest before they travel to Kavumba tomorrow to finish off Soltilo Bright Stars that they hammered 4-0 in the first leg of the Stanbic Uganda Cup semifinals at Kitende.
Recruited on March 12, to rescustate a dying campaign for Vipers, Isabirye’s Midas touch has somewhat been felt by lifting the league crown.
The soft-spoken gaffer can endear himself fan to the adoring club fanbase by adding the Uganda Cup that he won last year with Bul – ironically foiling another Venoms double bid.
Now a two-time league winner and a three-time Uganda Cup winner, Isabirye may not tactically shrewd in the mold of Mike Mutebi (former KCCA coach) but he has the art of psyching up players to win even complex battles they shouldn’t’.
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