Match Report: Busoga United 3-5 Vipers SC

STARTIMES UGANDA PREMIER LEAGUE

Sunday’s Result

Busoga United 3-5 Vipers SC

Vipers Sports Club humbled Busoga United 5-3 during the Uganda Premier League contest at the FUFA Technical Centre, Njeru on Sunday.

Ahead of the game, Fred Kajoba’s main concern was the centre-back position. With Halid Lwaliwa returning from a fever, there were now options. However, the coach decided to make some changes from the starting XI that won 2-1 over Kitara FC midweek. Lwalilwa partnered Geoffrey Wasswa in central defence with Paul Willa on the right and Aziz Kayondo on the left in a 4 man defence.

Bobosi Byaruhanga started his first league game in midfield, shielding the back four ahead of Siraje Ssentamu who had a knock with Karim Watambala and David Bagoole completing the puzzle. Upfront, Milton Karisa returned and started on the right wing with Dan Sserunkuma on the left wing while Muhammad Shaban led the attacking line.

Going into this game, Kajoba acknowledged when speaking to Vipers Media that this would be a big test and no one should undermine Busoga United. The opening minutes proved how much we needed the match. Within 5 minutes of the game, Muhammad Shaban and Dan Sserunkuma fired wide with no clear sight of goal.

In the following couple of minutes, Karisa and Kayondo would escape into dangerous positions on either flank but their crosses did not find their intended targets.

Vipers start in the game was as bright as the sunshine that drenched Fufa technical centre for the afternoon kickoff as Geoffrey Wasswa broke the deadlock in the 17th minute with a stunning freekick in position A1.

The hosts rallied back and equalised matters through George Kasonko in the 25th minute who pounced onto a loose ball from goalkeeper Fabien Mutombora. We fought back as Milton Karisa resorted our lead in the 27th minute, prodding home a loose ball after Shafiq Kakeeto failed to prevent Muhammad Shaban letting the ball through into the area.

The first stanza ended with us in the lead (2-1) but the second half wasn’t any different as we resumed from where we stopped from applying pressure.

In the 55th minute, Watambala got his first of the season following an interplay with Shaban, who set him up for a stunning long range shot into the bottom right corner. A minute after stretching our lead, Isma Mugulusi gave his side hope pulling a goal back for Busoga United.

We made our first change then with Captain Halid Lwaliwa making way for youngster Joseph Dhata in the 58th minute. This meant Paul Willa pulling into central defence to partner Wasswa while Dhata went into right back. There was a double substitution as well in the 61st minute as Mucureezi and Orit replaced Bagoole and Shaban.

In the 65th minute, Orit stormed through to go one-on-one with Franco Onen. Fortunately for Vipers, Sserunkuma couldn’t use the advantage as he was brought down in the box. Refeere William Oloya weaved play to go on.

This was turning out to be a curious game – one with huge pace, minimal midfield control and a raft of spurned chances. So perhaps we should not have been surprised that Vipers stretched their lead through Mucureezi in the 70th minute with a wonderfully-crafted in freekick outside the box when Byaruhanga was fouled in position A1.

Mucureezi again prodded in the 84th minute after Yiga, who replaced Karisa set him up for his second on the day and third goal of the 2020/21 season. Though Busoga kept fighting on and with three minutes to the final whistle, Paul Ssekulima grabbed a third goal for the home side.

At full time, the Venoms celebrated with their coaches. This was a famous win, a crucial win, a timely win going into the long break. And Vipers will be all the better for it when the League resumes next year in February with a home match against newcomers UPDF FC at St Mary’s Stadium – Kitende.

Copyright 2020 Vipers Sports Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.viperssc.co.ug as the source.