Vipers were left frustrated at home for the second successive Uganda Premier League game after Police held them to a goalless draw at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende on Friday night.
The Venoms created several opportunities and even had the ball in the net through Gusto Mulongo, only for his second-half effort to be ruled out for offside as Police stood firm to earn a valuable point.
Coming off a 1-1 home draw against Maroons, Denis Lavagne’s side were looking for a response under the Kitende floodlights but found Police goalkeeper Mathias Muwanga and his defence difficult to break down.
Police captain Saidi Kyeyune registered the game’s first attempt inside three minutes, although his effort sailed off target.
Vipers quickly responded and almost grabbed the opener when Odili Chukwuma released Faruku Miya, whose effort struck the lower part of the post.
Arafat Usama was next to threaten, forcing Muwanga into action with a long-range attempt before Chukwuma also tested the Police goalkeeper midway through the opening half.
Police gradually settled into the contest and began creating chances of their own. Bedia Djuma Ikamba used his strength to hold off Vipers captain Kevin Bady Dasylva before trying his luck from distance.
Kyeyune then fired over following a setup from Ashraf Mulindi, with the Police skipper subsequently booked after protesting for a corner.
The visitors threatened again when Mulindi found himself in a promising position following Kyeyune’s pass, but his effort went straight at Vipers goalkeeper Loyce Marius Mbaba.
At the other end, Vipers nearly found a breakthrough shortly before halftime. Miya released Mulongo into space, and the forward rounded Muwanga before attempting a cutback that Daniel Jakony dealt with.
Joel Sserunjogi also tried his luck twice as Vipers increased the pressure, but the opening half ended without a goal.
The hosts continued pushing after the restart, with Muwanga denying Chukwuma from a tight angle five minutes into the second half.
Vipers thought they had finally broken the deadlock in the 65th minute when Mulongo found the back of the net, but the celebrations were cut short by an offside decision.
With time running out, Lavagne committed more players forward in search of a winner. Miya saw an effort blocked inside a crowded penalty area, while Police continued defending in numbers.
Yunus Junior Sentamu and Ashraf Mandela were introduced late on as Vipers searched for a decisive moment, but the visitors refused to buckle.
Abdulkarim Watambala had a long-range effort deflected behind as the game approached the 90-minute mark before Usama’s acrobatic attempt in stoppage time failed to find the target.
Police eventually survived the late pressure to leave Kitende with a point and deny Vipers another home victory.
The draw leaves Vipers on 11 points from six matches, having now drawn twice this season.
WHAT’S NEXT
Following our goalless draw at the St Mary’s stadium, we are back on the road as we head West on Wednesday, October 28, 2026 at 4pm to take on Mbarara City FC at the Rwamwanja stadium in Kamwenge District.