Vipers first timers still overawed by maiden UPL crown

With five matches to play, Vipers Sports Club were declared the 2019/20 StarTimes Uganda Premier League (SUPL) champions last week after the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) dusted the league’s working document and put some particular clauses to use.

The decision came as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic whose alarming outbreak has halted sports activities globally, from March 18 in Uganda, prompting Fufa to invoke Article 18 in the competition’s rules leaving the Venoms in ecstasy land with a fourth Uganda Premier League (UPL) title.

Understandably, Vipers’ players were overjoyed but the behind-the-scenes celebrations of those that there winning Uganda’s ‘Holy Grail’ for the first time is what offered the talking point.

Aura of excitement

After the news filtered through that we had scooped the crown, many of the players and officials took to their social media pages to show their excitement.

Midfielder Rahmat Ssenfuka, who joined from Police FC last season, expressed his delight with the triumph but also exhibited a tinge of sadness due to the prevailing lockdown measures that have forcefully put celebrations on a hold.

“I am extremely happy and excited,” exclaimed Ssenfuka.

“But I am also saddened that we cannot celebrate this milestone because of the lockdown. Winning the title was always our target right from the start and being my maiden title, I am really joyful for the achievement.“

“We did everything for one another by giving our all in every game. Sincerely, this was not the way we wanted the end to be (invoking articles in the competition rules) but we are proud to be champions,” concluded Ssenfuka.

Just like the former Police FC skipper, a host of other first time winners within the squad share the same feeling.

Right back Paul Willa took to his Facebook page to express his joy unlimited immediately after the announcement was made by the Fufa President Eng Moses Magogo.

”I am so honoured to become a UPL champion for the first time. Congratulations to my entire teammates and the officials at Vipers,” read Willa’s post.

New dawn

Another youthful defender Jacob Okao couldn’t hide his newfound feeling as he intimated to our website, in an interview, that “this is just the beginning of a successful journey ahead”.

”I hope to win more silverware in my career here at Vipers. “This is a huge blessing because there are many players who retire without such achievements and winning it for the first time, in my maiden season, makes it even more memorable,” Okao remarked.

Teenage sensation Bobosi Byaruhanga and towering goalkeeper Derrick Ochan believe this will definitely serve as a motivation to the rest of the team to work even harder in future campaigns.

Other than the above mentioned and some who were part of Miguel Da Costa’s winning team in 2018, majority of Vipers current squad are first time league winners as seen below;

Vipers Debutants Winners’ Rota

Fabien Mutombora
Denis Kiggundu
Aziz Kayondo
Farouk Musisi
Ahmed Amayo
Ibrahim Tembo
Allan Kayiwa
Denis Mwemezi
Abraham Ndugwa
Umar Kyebatala
Fahad Bayo
Tito Okello
Karim Watambala

Celebrations are on hold, for now, due to the movement restrictions in the country’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Once normalcy returns, the usual crowning moment and trophy parade will definitely happen in a grandeur way!!!