MATCH DETAILS
Game: NEC FC vs. Vipers SC
Time: Tuesday, 8:00 PM
Venue: MTN Omondi Stadium, Lugogo
Vipers SC walk into the MTN Omondi Stadium tonight with the table firmly in sight. A win under the Lugogo floodlights (8PM) will send the defending champions straight to the summit of the StarTimes Uganda Premier League (SUPL) despite having played fewer matches than all their title rivals.
The Venoms have been operating with calm assurance this term. They remain the only unbeaten side in the division, stitching together five wins and a draw to reach 16 points—just one behind the leading trio of KCCA, SC Villa and Police, who are all tied on 17.
Victory tonight will shoot coach Ivan Jacky Minnaert’s side clear at the top with games still in hand, handing them a powerful early-season statement.
NEC Searching for Old Fire
NEC FC, once projected as dark-horse contenders, have endured a flat opening to the 2025/26 campaign and find themselves chasing stability instead of the summit.
The ‘Die Hards’ have managed just 10 points from eight matches, a return built on two wins, four draws and two defeats. Their attacking bite has been inconsistent, their defensive structure unreliable, and their aura from last season noticeably dimmed.
But Lugogo adds a wrinkle that Minnaert cannot ignore.
Lugogo Hoodoo: Vipers’ Unfinished Business
For all their pedigree, Vipers have never beaten NEC at Lugogo in a league match.
Last season, NEC stunned the Venoms 3–1 at the same venue on opening day. Even their pre-season FUFA Super 8 duel in August ended 1–1.
In the six meetings across League and Super 8, Vipers have two league victories—both at Kitende – while NEC’s famous 3–1 win remains their lone triumph. The two Super 8 clashes ended in draws.
So while the champions travel with form, history insists this fixture is rarely straightforward.
Venoms in Full Flight
Form, however, paints Vipers as the side in rhythm.
They’ve scored 13 goals, conceded only three, and boast a league-best goal difference of +10—all achieved while playing two fewer matches than most challengers. The Venoms look balanced, organised and ruthless, with healthy competition for places driving intensity across the squad.
Minnaert’s biggest task will be maintaining sharpness and resisting Lugogo’s unpredictable pull. NEC, wounded and under scrutiny, will view this clash as the perfect stage to reboot their campaign.
The Night That Could Shift the Table
The script is simple:
NEC are desperate to reawaken their spark; Vipers are hunting the summit with momentum behind them. Lugogo has historically resisted the Venoms, but form and ambition tilt the scales their way.
By the final whistle, the Premier League may have a new leader—and Vipers hope the night marks another step in their evolving grip on the title race.