CAF Champions League – Preliminary Round (Second Leg)

Match Result: Vipers SC 1–0 African Stars FC (Vipers win 2–0 on aggregate)

Scorer: Yunus Sentamu (63’)

Vipers SC are safely into the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League after completing a professional 2–0 aggregate victory over Namibia’s African Stars.

A second-half strike from striker Yunus Sentamu proved the difference on Saturday night as the Venoms edged a hard-fought 1–0 win at the St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende.

The result, coupled with their first-leg triumph in Cape Town, confirmed back-to-back clean sheets and smooth passage to the next round.

Sentamu steps up

The decisive moment came in the 63rd minute when skipper Milton Karisa pressed high, forcing a defensive slip from the visitors. Sentamu reacted quickest, pouncing on the loose ball and finishing into an empty net to spark wild celebrations in front of the home faithful.

It was a timely response from the forward, who had been left out of the starting XI in the first leg but repaid coach Jacky Ivan Minnaert’s faith with a trademark poacher’s goal.

Earlier, African Stars had threatened to silence the Kitende crowd when Edgar Kamatuka rattled the woodwork after 30 minutes. But Vipers regrouped, slowed the tempo, and managed the game with composure.

Minnaert’s tactical clarity

Minnaert, only in his second competitive match in charge, made bold selection calls once again. He handed a starting berth to Liberian forward Robin Kane Hney, while sticking with goalkeeper Denis Kiggundu ahead of the more experienced Alfred Mudekereza.

The Belgian tactician also showed he is unafraid to rotate his stars, starting without captain Karisa and Gusto Mulongo. Instead, the attack featured Allan Okello, Sentamu, and Hney, with Karisa later introduced to inject energy in the second half.

His defensive pairing of Kevin Dasylva and Hilary Mukundane held firm, while the midfield trio of Taddeo Lwanga, Enock Ssebaggala, and Karim Watambala once again imposed structure and stability.

The performance may not have been flashy, but it underlined Vipers’ growing maturity: disciplined, organized, and effective when it mattered.

What’s next

The Venoms now advance to face the winner between ASEC Mimosas (Ivory Coast) and Power Dynamos (Zambia) in the second preliminary round — a much sterner test that will demand greater sharpness in attack.

For Minnaert, however, the early signs are promising. His new-look Vipers are competitive, selections are merit-based, and results are beginning to show the direction of his project.

As skipper Karisa put it: “We have the advantage, but it means nothing if we don’t finish the job. We will give everything to progress in front of our fans.”

On Saturday night in Kitende, the Venoms did just that — finishing the job with professionalism and purpose.