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Reigning StarTimes Uganda Premier League champions Vipers SC have appointed former Cameroon national team head coach Denis Lavagne as their new head coach on a two-year contract ahead of the 2026/27 season.
The 61-year-old French tactician replaces Belgian Ivan Jacky Minnaert, who left the club by mutual consent at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
Lavagne arrives at St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende with nearly three decades of coaching experience across Europe, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. He built his reputation during a successful spell with Cameroonian giants Coton Sport, where he won four Elite One league titles, three Cameroon Cups and guided the club to the 2008 CAF Champions League final.
His coaching résumé also includes managing the Cameroon national team, as well as spells with Étoile du Sahel, Al Hilal Omdurman, JS Kabylie, USM Alger, Azam FC, and several other clubs across Africa and the Middle East.
At Vipers, Lavagne will be assisted by John ‘Ayala’ Luyinda, who remains the club’s assistant coach, while Belgian performance specialist Salmi Yassine joins as Head of Performance and Fitness.
The Frenchman will be tasked with defending Vipers’ Uganda Premier League title, challenging for the Stanbic Uganda Cup and CECAFA Kagame Cup, and leading the club’s quest for success in the CAF Champions League.
Among Lavagne’s career highlights are guiding Coton Sport to the 2008 CAF Champions League final, leading JS Kabylie to the 2021 CAF Confederation Cup final, winning four league titles in Cameroon and one in Sudan, and serving as head coach of the Cameroon national team.
His appointment underlines Vipers SC’s determination to build on their domestic success while making a stronger impact on the continental stage.
