Match Report: Mbarara City 1-0 Vipers SC - Vipers SC Official Website

STARTIMES UGANDA PREMIER LEAGUE

Saturday’s Result

Mbarara City FC 1-0 Vipers SC

There will be no more unbeaten league record after Vipers produced an awful performance to go down 1-0 at relegation-threatened Mbarara City FC at Kakyeka stadium.

The Venoms had the opportunity to go back on top of the StarTimes Uganda Premier League but instead produced a dire display to suffer their first defeat of the season and as well a debut defeat to the Ankole Lions.

Fred Kajoba made only one change from the side that saw off Soltilo Bright Stars FC last time out, with South Sudanese Joseph Dhata replacing the suspended Disan Galiwango who stayed in Kitende due to accumulated yellow cards.

The match started in a relatively slow fashion, with the 13th placed home side taking a more cautious approach as they resorted to a pound for pound approach limiting the league defending champions to just a few chances.

Mbarara City were slightly a better side throughout the first half as they controlled proceedings with Vipers struggling to get any rhythm and lacking any sort of goal threat.

Up to the 30th minute, it was far from an entertaining half as Mbarara City’s Henry Kitegenyi together with Stephen Othieno found themselves in Referee Alex Muhabi’s book for rough play.

In the 31st minute, Halid Lwaliwa poor back pass was almost punished but Bashir Ssekagya in Vipers posts made a timely run from goal to thwarf any danger but the ball fell to Makueth Wol whose effort went begging.

Six minutes later, home boy Paul Mucureezi was also a culprit of poor finishing as he headed off the mark Ceasar Manzoki’s rebound with Muhammad Ssekeba totally out of place.

Mbarara City continued to look a better side and almost took the lead in the 40th minute but Congolese Bebe’s long range shot from a rebound went slightly wide in front of a yawning net.

Half time: Mbarara City 0-0 Vipers

With such a lacklustre first half, Vipers were expected to return a different outfit however, disaster struck in the 51st minute when Bashir Asiku’s miscalculation of a long ball allowed Kitegenyi to neatly chip Ssekagya for the only goal of the game.

Before the goal though, Jasper Aheebwa was cautioned for foul play and later Vipers Musa Ssali suffered the same fate for a rough challenge on Bebe.

Kitegenyi almost doubled the home team’s lead immediately after netting the first but his header in a goal mouth went inches off the target to the relief of Vipers.

Kajoba made a double substitution at the hour mark introducing Rashid Toha together with Allan Kayiwa in place of Dhata and Mucureezi respectively.

Sadiq Sempigi standing in for Brian Senyondo who is on national duty with the Cubs in Morocco, made his first change in the 63rd minute by withdrawing Makueth Wol for Ibrahim Magandazi as they desperately maintained their lead.

Further changes were made by Kajoba in the 68th minute when he brought on Denis Mwemezi and Jamil Kalisa for Ssali and Karim Watambala in such of an equaliser which never came.

Vipers first shot on target arrived in the 75th minute when Yunus Sentamu played in Ibrahim Orit but his shot was straight at Ssekeba who produced a brilliant save to deny the Venoms.

A minute later, Kajoba threw in his last dice as youngster Lawrence Tezikya was introduced to inject in some energy replacing Manzoki as the hosts now resorted to delaying tactics to buy out time.

There was no comeback though, instead, a first defeat in 12 league matches happened as the Venoms remained a point behind table leaders Express FC with 27 points. Up next is a home game against SC Villa on Wednesday.