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The two best sides in Ugandan football for the last few years meet once again in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League on Saturday at the MTN Omondi Stadium, Lugogo.
Vipers who came into the season as one of the favourites will be looking to keep their lead at the summit of the League while KCCA will be hoping on narrowing the gap on Vipers that has widen over the last few games.
The Venoms start the day nine points ahead of Kasasiro Boys and could potentially go to 12 points if the Kitende based side makes easy work of KCCA.
Robert Olivera’s side can not afford to drop points at this stage having found the going a bit favorable of late in the league as they have won five of their past seven games, drawing one and loosing the other where they were awarded free points due to Tooro using a suspended player.
But that should not make the venoms feel that it will be so easy as they face a depleted of sorts KCCA side with several of their first team players out of form.
The trio of Milton Kaliisa, Ceaser Manzoki and Yunus Ssentamu has bailed Vipers out on several occasions this campaign and they will hope they do the from at Lugogo on Saturday.
Assistant coach Marcelo Cardoso had a few words to say ahead of the game;
“We have a strong match against KCCA FC tomorrow. Of course at this stage, they know how we play & we know their team too.” said assistant coach Marcelo Cardoso before adding;
“We are developing our strategy to approve this match in the best way possible inorder to get a good result. It’s very important to say that for us to have a good result isn’t a victory of course we want to win all the matches but to win a league, we have to play with results.” he concluded
The Kasasiro Boys have only one win in their last five games and that’s one of the reasons why they are falling far off the top spot.
After the draw to Arua Hill on Monday, KCCA are now 9 points off top spot and only three above fourth-placed URA FC.
They have a slim chance to win the league and will very much have to explore all their chances and tactics to win this game due to their current form.
Their biggest worry going into the game will be getting their strikers like Brian Aheebwa, Davis Kasirye, Charles Lwanga and Sadat Anaku in good scoring mood for which they have struggled throughout the season.
“The first leg is now four months ago and it’s now history, what we need to do is to focus about 6game in hand tomorrow” said KCCA FC head coach Morley Byekwaso.
“Tomorrow’s game is going to be very hard for both teams because it’s the table leaders facing the second so we are going to play to our best and we got the advantage because as visitors, they are coming to our home” he added.
Vipers are top of the Log with 55 points in 23 games while KCCA FC lay second with 46 points with the same games played.
Last result.
The Kasasiro boys drew their last game at home to Arua Hill SC while The Venoms won their last game away in Ndejje against a struggling URA FC.
In the reverse fixture, the two sides shared the spoils at Kitende in a game that ended 2-2 after a late Bobosi Byaruhanga strike for Vipers.
what could this mean.
A win for Vipers SC would stretch their lead at the top to twelve points while a win for KCCA FC would help them close the gap between them and the Venoms to six points.
Match Stats
This will be the 34th meeting between the two sides in the league history
In the past 33 meetings, Vipers have beaten KCCA 13 times, nine have ended in draws while KCCA has won 11
But, KCCA come into the contest having lost only twice of their last seven games against Vipers, winning once and drawing the other four.
Team News:
KCCA are looking forward to welcoming back Usama Arafat into the squad with the rest of the team available.
The Venoms have some fitness concerns after Yunus Sentamu, Siraje Sentamu and Fabien Mutombora were all stretched off during their victory over URA FC on Tuesday. Yunus and Siraje are expected to be back in the squad but Mutombora might miss out after suffering a zygomatic bone fracture that needed surgery.
So Vipers have recalled Jack Komakech from St Mary’s SS engagements in order to deputize second choice goalkeeper Denis Kiggundu.
Probable lineups
KCCA FC– Benjamin Ochan(GK) , Fibert Obenchan, John Revita, Hebert Achai, Dennis Iguma, Hassan Jurua, Brian Majwega, Ashiraf Mugume, Yasin Mugerwa, Sadat Anaku, Brian Aheebwa
Vipers SC– Dennis Kiggundu (GK), Hillary Mukundane, Livingston Mulondo, Halid Luwalila, Disan Galiwango, Sirajje Ssentamu, Bobosi Byaruhanga, Najib Yiga, Milton Karisa, Yunus Ssentamu, Ceazor Manzoki.
Last seven games between the two sides
2021/2022
- Vipers 2-2 KCCA FC
2020/2021
- KCCA FC 1-2 Vipers
- Vipers 1-0 KCCA FC
2019/2020
- Vipers 0-0 KCCA FC
- KCCA FC 1-0 Vipers
2018/2019
- KCCA FC 1-1 Vipers
- Vipers 1-1 KCCA FC
