Wasswa Is Captain Fantastic As Vipers Go Five Points Clear

STARTIMES UGANDA PREMIER LEAGUE

February 02, 2020 @St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende

Vipers 1-0 Onduparaka

(57’ Geoffrey Wasswa)

Youngster Bobosi Byaruhanga was named Match of the Match.

There couldn’t have been a better man than captain of the day Geoffrey Wasswa to keep Vipers very much glued onto the big picture with a solitary strike to give the club some comfort – going five points clear atop the StarTimes Uganda Premier League (SUPL) log.

Wasswa, the club’s official vice captain who was standing in for injury-troubled Halid Lwaliwa, broke his shackles with his first for the Venoms in the 57th minute to propel Vipers to 46 points after 20 games in the 16-team competition.

***Captain Fantastic: Geoffrey Wasswa (smiling) gets swamped by Rahmat Ssenfuka and Bobosi Byaruhanga to celebrate his perfectly curled in freekick.***

The goal ensured coach Fred Kajoba and his technical team started their respective home reigns with victory. And much as it offered relief for the new technical bench, it was pleasant gift for Wasswa in many ways.

Wasswa spent most of the second round of the 2018-19 season and a quarter of the 2019-20 season nursing a knee injury. His immediate return to action looked like a pipe dream!

***All Rounder: Geoffrey Wasswa was once again a commanding presence in the back and his work rate was summed up with a beautiful goal.***

But Wasswa super-timed his moment with a perfectly curled free-kick that beat Onduparaka’s diving goalkeeper Yusuf Wasswa as the ball blitzed the back of the top right corner net.

Bright Start

But before Wasswa’s moment, Innocent Wafula had already gone close after the Venoms hit the ground running.

**Innocent Wafula fighting for possession from Onduparaka’s Richard Ayiko.**

Rahmat Ssenfuka had also headed a good delivery just inches wide off the woodwork at the start of a Karim Watambala-inspired move.

Meanwhile Onduparaka, too, had arrived with vivid attacking intentions looking to rub more salt onto the hosts wounds who had previously gone on a three-match winless streak. But their hunger to pounce only showed any signs of fruition in the second half.

Onduparaka’s Ezra Bida charged forward with purpose but Vipers stalwart Jacob Okao intervened brilliantly to steer away that particular jittery moment.

***New Kid on the block: Jacob Okao intercepts Onduparaka’s Ezra Bida***.

The visitors never stopped pressing and many a time they thought they would prize out an equaliser but Vipers defence remained resolute to earn yet another clean sheet.

Man of Match Bobosi Byaruhanga almost doubled the lead for Vipers late on in the match with a powerful and viscous shot but goalie Wasswa was up to the task as he parried it over the bar.

***MoTM: Youngster Bobosi Byaruhanga was named Man of The Match after his awesome work rate and intelligence midfield display.***

As expected, coach Fred Kajoba had made some changes following the midweek stalemate with Mbarara City. Farouk Musisi came into the Starting XI in the place of Aziz Kayondo, who is serving a suspension after accumulating three yellow cards.

Rookie Ahmed Amayo was left out of the Match Day squad and was replaced by Innocent Wafula while Ibrahim Tembo took a seat on the bench to pave way for Rahmat Ssenfuka.

Vipers SC XI

Fabien Mutombora, Paul Willa, Farouk Musisi (Abraham Ndugwa 72′), Jacob Okao, Geoffrey Wasswa, Rahmat Ssenfuka, Bobosi Byaruhanga, Innocent Wafula (Allan Kayiwa 55′), Paul Mucureezi, Karim Watambala (Tito Okello 77′), Fahad Bayo.