KCCA, Vipers equal strength at Lugogo in the Uganda Premier League

A goal in either half of the game ensured table leaders KCCA FC shared spoils with second placed Vipers Sports Club in a StarTimes Uganda Premier League encounter on Thursday evening at Lugogo.

Like it was expected to be a battle for supremacy among the biggest clubs in Ugandan football currently, the Thursday game lived up to its billing after producing a number of mouthwatering moments.

In an almost one sided first half, Vipers deservedly took the lead through Brian Nkuubi on the 28^th minute mark.

Following a melee near the hosts’ goal, Nkuubi took advantage to hit the ball into the roof of the net for the Venoms to take the deserved lead at Lugogo.

Vipers produced a number of moves towards KCCA’s goal but they failed to add onto Nkuubi’s goal.

The hosts also missed a number of chances in the first half but saved the best for the second stanza.

Gaffer Mike Mutebi made two changes just as the second stanza started, introducing Patrick Kaddu and Gift Ali in the place of Sadat Anaku and Jackson Nunda respectively to bring more life into the team.

The changes paid off as the hosts increased their intensity towards the Vipers goal.

The changes saw veteran and on-form Mike Mutyaba combine well with Kaddu to level the matters at Lugogo to send the fans at the filled to capacity StarTimes stadium into frenzy.

The combination of Mutyaba, Muzamir Mutyaba, Allan Okello and Kaddu continued to cause havoc to the Vipers team as they were on their back foot the entire second half.

All the four players missed a number of clear cut chances that would have seen KCCA put the game to bed.

At the end of the final whistle, both teams had equaled strength at the StarTimes stadium in Lugogo, a replica of the first round result in Kitende.

Speaking shortly after the game, Vipers coach, Michael Nam Ouma admitted the game didn’t come off as easy as they had expected.

He however blamed the dismal performance to the injury of defender Halid Lwaliwa who was substituted in the first half.

“Even if it was away, we wanted to close the gap between us but it didn’t come off well. Things didn’t happen the way we wanted but it is good we are going back home with a point and it is a plus for us,”Ouma said.

KCCA FC gaffer, Mike Mutebi said it was not a point earned that mattered but rather the two points lost by his team.

“Our chances to win the trophy if we had won have dropped from 90% to 70%.”

The stalemate meant KCCA maintains the lead at the top of the 16 team log on 54 points from 26 games whereas Vipers are second, on 50 points.