Uganda Premier League

Vipers v Onduparaka

Blacks Power v SC Villa

Maroons v Gaddafi

Tuesday

Arua Hill 0 BUL 1

UPDF 1 URA 1

Vipers will have their eyes set on returning to winning ways while also ascending to the top of the Uganda Premier League table when they host winless and bottom-placed Onduparaka at St Mary’s Stadium in Kitende.

Before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Gaddafi FC at the weekend, Vipers had racked up five wins in a row, and victory in that game would have sent them to the summit but Alex Kitata’s excellent first-half strike killed that dream as it proved to be the winner for the Jinja-based side.

Despite the positive run of results, Vipers have struggled for firepower whenever top scorer Yunus Sentamu has failed to fire.

Ssentamu has so far scored six goals this season but is doubtful for today’s match due to a groin injury he picked up a week ago and saw him miss the 1-0 win over URA and the defeat to Gaddafi.

His deputies, Abubakar Lawal, Cromwell Rwothomio, and Darcy Mbaka, all recruited in the just concluded transfer window are all yet to score 10 games since joining the club.

Other possible sources for goals are Paul Mucureezi and Abdul Lumala who continue to be sidelined with long-term injuries and that leaves skipper Milton Kariisa and midfielders Bright Anukani and Abdul Karim Watambala.

Head coach Roberto Oliveira believes the Gaddafi setback is enough to motivate his side to pick themselves up and return to winning ways.

“It was a disappointing outing for us to lose to Gaddafi given our best run of form before facing them, but that same defeat is a motivation for us to rise up and get back to our best which is winning,” Oliveira stated.

Onduparaka heads to Kitende under the tutelage of new head coach and former SC Villa star, Steven Bogere who was appointed on Monday to replace Haruna Mawa.

Bogere understands that it is going to be a tough outing for his side but has trust in his players to get a positive result from the home of the defending champions.

“I have been tasked to help the team stay in the top flight and the battle starts today against Vipers. I know it is going to be hard for us but we will try our best,” Bogere stated.

Vipers won both meetings last season with former player Halid Lwaliwa on target in a 1-0 win in Kitende, before Cesar Manzoki and Milton Karisa scored in the reverse fixture at the Greenlight Stadium in Arua.