Head coach Denis Lavagne says the opening-day defeat to Entebbe UPPC FC won’t alter the general direction Vipers Sports Club are travelling in.

Lavagne suffered just suffered his first League loss as head coach, with Congolose defender Kevin Dasylva Bady putting through his own net from Thomas Ochungo’s cross following miscommunication between him and goalkeeper Loyce Mbaba at St Mary’s stadium.

The boss introduced the likes of Usama Arafat, Yunus Sentamu and Isaac Ogwang from the bench, but the Venoms could not find a way back into the game, ensuring a frustrating start to the 2026/27 campaign.

But Lavagne said there was no need to panic, as he called for a level of calm during his interview with Vipers Media. Read the quotes below…

LACK OF SPARK

“Yeah, some was okay, obviously bits to improve on. It was never going to be perfect today but I think going behind and giving ourselves a lot to do made it more difficult. You can’t give them much, they’ve got a lot to hold on to, and then after that, we had moments, we had opportunities, we just didn’t have that spark to then put the chances away or create any more. Listen, we’re bitterly disappointed with the result today but it won’t knock us.”

DASLYA’S OWN GOAL

“Conceding an own goal anyway is frustrating. Of course, there’s things to improve on. But, in general, we’ve been pretty good so, again, one game doesn’t change the whole direction of everything. We know that but we’ve still got to be aware of what we need to get better at.”

NO CHANGE OF COURSE

“It’s one game. It’s the first game of the season so it’s disappointing enough and it hurts, of course it does. But it’s one game, it doesn’t change the whole course of the direction the team or the football club is going in. We’ll stay calm, stay in the bubble and focus on next week.”

KEEPING COMPOSED

“No, listen, we’re not happy at all. I’m not happy we’ve lost the game. So it’s not let’s move on and everything’s okay. There’s a difference, I think. But the assessment of it, of keeping our composure and understanding where we want to get to, and how we want to improve, I think that’s important to think clearly. But it certainly doesn’t make it any easier in terms of dealing with the disappointment and the hurt that we all feel right now.”

WE HAVE TO MOVE ON

“One hundred per cent [we’re looking ahead]. That’s what I mean: [we need to] understand the bigger picture. It doesn’t make today any easier, but when you pull yourself away from it and what we’re trying to achieve, where we want to be, where we’ve come from, what’s on this week, what’s on the weeks after and building up to the first CAF Champions League, the run of games, the chapter, what it looks like, all them things come into play. Just right now, standing here looking at this result, it’s a disappointing feeling.”