CECAFA Kagame cup 2018
Vipers SC 3-0 Katar FC
Wednesday, 04-06-2018
Chamazi Stadium, Tanzania
Vipers SC took care of business on Wednesday night to reach the 2018 CECAFA Kagame cup knock-out stages.
The reigning Uganda Premier League champions did it in style as they defeated South Sudan outfit Katar FC 3-0 in the late kick-off at the Chamazi stadium.
Having drawn the first two games of the competition, Vipers knew that only a win against the South Sudanese would guarantee their passage.
Duncan Sseninde, Steven Mukwala and Yayo Lutimba were all on the score-sheet for the Venoms in their most convincing performance in their Kagame cup history.
In an all most empty Chamazi stadium, Vipers got off to a promising start as early as the 9th minute when defender Geoffrey Wasswa towered his way through Katar’s midfield and defence only to be denied a first competition’s goal by goalkeeper Fred Kyagaba and striker Dan Sserunkuma failed to capitalize on the rebound.
Constant raids by the Venoms in search of a goal yielded no rewards until in the 22nd minute when Duncan Sseninde curled a beauty of a shot into the roof of the net off a Rahmat Ssenfuka lay off.
Two minutes later, it was 2-0 to Miguel da Costa’s men after Ssenfuka picked up a loose ball in the midfield, teed up Sserunkuma who unselfishly released Steven Mukwala to slot in emphatically.
Vipers continued to press forward in a bid to kill off the game but kept on missing the target.
The second half started as the first had ended with the Venoms commanding a lion’s share of the possession though with only two first half goals to show as they frustratingly hit the upright twice in the 56th and 57th minutes through Sserunkuma and Mukwala respectively.
Sserunkuuma’s efforts to add on his two goal tally for the tournament didn’t materialize as for the second time in the game, he hit the upright with nine minutes of the 90 to play.
In the first minute of added time through, Lutimba unleashed a thunderous strike that beat Kyagaba to make it 3-0.
The win lifted the Venoms to second on the log with 5 points, dislodging JKU who lost to Azam in their final game. Vipers reward for a perfect evening is now a quarterfinal meeting with Group B winners who will be determined after Thursday’s decisive matches as AS Port (Djibouti), Gor Mahia (Kenya), Rayon Sport (Rwanda) and Lydia Ludic (Burundi) contest for the remaining two quarterfinal slots.
Vipers Starting XI vs Katar.
Bashir Ssekagya, Fred Okot (David Owori), Yayo Lutimba, Geofrrey Wasswa, Bashir Asiku, Tadeo Lwanga, Milton Karisa Ashraf Mandela, Rahmat Ssenfuka, Dan Sserunkuma, Steven Mukwala, Duncan Sseninde (Frank Tumwesigye).
