Sports
Kagame Cup exit leaves Vipers with more questions than answers
Their campaign started brightly with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Djibouti's Garde Republicaine, inspired by Farouk Miya's brilliant brace before Abdu Karim Watambala added the third.
Vipers' starting XI for the win against Gor Mahia earlier in the CECAFA Kagame Cup. (Courtesy Photos)
By: Yekoyada Saaka, Journalist @New Vision
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CECAFA Kagame Cup
Results
APR 2 Vipers 1
Rayon Sport 1 Al Hilal 0
Tusker 2 KVZ 0
Singida 1 Simba 2
Jamus 2 Mogadishu 1
Gor Mahia 1 Republicaine 0
Semifinals
Rayon Sports v Jamus
Gor Mahia v Al Hilal
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Vipers SC's early exit from the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup may have come in a pre-season tournament, but it has left the Uganda Premier League (UPL) champions with plenty to reflect on ahead of what promises to be a demanding 2026/27 campaign.
The Venoms travelled to Kigali with lofty ambitions.
Besides using the regional tournament to fine-tune preparations for the new season, the club also wanted to make a strong statement under new French head coach Dennis Lavagne, who was appointed to lead a side expected to defend the UPL title, challenge for the Stanbic Uganda Cup and, above all, qualify for the lucrative CAF Champions League group stage.
Instead, Vipers return home with more questions than answers.
Their campaign started brightly with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Djibouti's Garde Republicaine, inspired by Farouk Miya's brilliant brace before Abdu Karim Watambala added the third.
They followed that with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Kenya's Gor Mahia to climb to the top of Group A with six points, thanks to Gusto Mulongo's winning goal.
However, the momentum quickly faded. Miya, who had looked sharp in the opening match, was largely ineffective in the victories over Gor Mahia and the decisive 2-1 defeat to hosts APR on Thursday.
Vipers needed only a draw against the Rwandan champions to secure a place in the semi-finals, but defensive lapses proved costly.
Goalkeeper Dennis Kiggundu's mistake gifted APR the opening goal before first-choice defender Kevin Dyslyva was sent off, reducing the Ugandan champions to 10 men and making an already difficult task even harder.
While pre-season tournaments are designed to allow coaches to experiment, Lavagne's constant changes in team selection and tactics are likely to come under scrutiny.
Rotation is understandable at this stage of the season, but many will question whether the Frenchman should have fielded a more second-string side in a match where qualification was within touching distance and needed protection.
Vipers SC's early exit from the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup may have come in a pre-season tournament, but it has left the Uganda Premier League (UPL) champions with plenty to reflect on ahead of what promises to be a demanding 2026/27 campaign.
The Venoms travelled to Kigali with lofty ambitions.
Besides using the regional tournament to fine-tune preparations for the new season, the club also wanted to make a strong statement under new French head coach Dennis Lavagne, who was appointed to lead a side expected to defend the UPL title, challenge for the Stanbic Uganda Cup and, above all, qualify for the lucrative CAF Champions League group stage.
Instead, Vipers return home with more questions than answers.
Their campaign started brightly with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Djibouti's Garde Republicaine, inspired by Farouk Miya's brilliant brace before Abdu Karim Watambala added the third.
They followed that with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Kenya's Gor Mahia to climb to the top of Group A with six points, thanks to Gusto Mulongo's winning goal.
However, the momentum quickly faded. Miya, who had looked sharp in the opening match, was largely ineffective in the victories over Gor Mahia and the decisive 2-1 defeat to hosts APR on Thursday.
Vipers needed only a draw against the Rwandan champions to secure a place in the semi-finals, but defensive lapses proved costly.
Goalkeeper Dennis Kiggundu's mistake gifted APR the opening goal before first-choice defender Kevin Dyslyva was sent off, reducing the Ugandan champions to 10 men and making an already difficult task even harder.
While pre-season tournaments are designed to allow coaches to experiment, Lavagne's constant changes in team selection and tactics are likely to come under scrutiny.
Rotation is understandable at this stage of the season, but many will question whether the Frenchman should have fielded a more second-string side in a match where qualification was within touching distance and needed protection.
The decision to leave new Gabonese goalkeeper Loyce Mbaba on the bench in a crucial game will also raise eyebrows.
Vipers' fate was eventually decided on Saturday. Having finished second in Group A on six points behind Gor Mahia on goal difference, they needed Sudan's Al Hilal to beat hosts Rayon Sports in the decisive Group C encounter to stand a chance of progressing as the tournament's best second-placed side.
Instead, Rayon Sports edged Al Hilal 1-0, a result that sent both clubs into the semi-finals and confirmed Vipers' elimination.
The last four will now see Rayon Sports face South Sudan's Jamus, while Al Hilal take on Gor Mahia.
The early exit also shines a spotlight on Vipers' decision to skip the FUFA Super 8 tournament in favour of the Kagame Cup.
The club sacrificed a place in the local pre-season competition, with BUL taking their slot after finishing ninth in the league, believing the regional tournament would provide better preparation.
Ironically, while the Super 8 is now underway, Vipers are back home watching from the sidelines after their Kagame Cup campaign ended prematurely.
For a club of Vipers' stature, the elimination is particularly disappointing. Ugandan teams have traditionally enjoyed success in the CECAFA Kagame Cup, with SC Villa winning the title three times, Express twice and KCCA also lifting the trophy. Failing to progress beyond the group stage is therefore an unfamiliar outcome for one of the country's most consistent and competitive clubs over the last 10 years.
Still, it would be unfair to judge Lavagne solely on a pre-season tournament.
The Kagame Cup is meant to expose weaknesses and help coaches identify their strongest combinations before the competitive season begins.
However, the Frenchman is also aware that he has joined a club where patience is often in short supply. Vipers have built a reputation for changing coaches quickly, with even league-winning Belgian Ivan Jacky Minnaert shown the exit after guiding the club to last season's title because the team's style of play failed to convince club president Lawrence Mulindwa.
That history means the pressure will inevitably begin to build around Lavagne, even before the competitive season kicks off.
With the UPL season kicking off on August 28 and a CAF Champions League campaign on the horizon, the real examinations are still to come.
Vipers' fate was eventually decided on Saturday. Having finished second in Group A on six points behind Gor Mahia on goal difference, they needed Sudan's Al Hilal to beat hosts Rayon Sports in the decisive Group C encounter to stand a chance of progressing as the tournament's best second-placed side.
Instead, Rayon Sports edged Al Hilal 1-0, a result that sent both clubs into the semi-finals and confirmed Vipers' elimination.
The last four will now see Rayon Sports face South Sudan's Jamus, while Al Hilal take on Gor Mahia.
The early exit also shines a spotlight on Vipers' decision to skip the FUFA Super 8 tournament in favour of the Kagame Cup.
The club sacrificed a place in the local pre-season competition, with BUL taking their slot after finishing ninth in the league, believing the regional tournament would provide better preparation.
Ironically, while the Super 8 is now underway, Vipers are back home watching from the sidelines after their Kagame Cup campaign ended prematurely.
For a club of Vipers' stature, the elimination is particularly disappointing. Ugandan teams have traditionally enjoyed success in the CECAFA Kagame Cup, with SC Villa winning the title three times, Express twice and KCCA also lifting the trophy. Failing to progress beyond the group stage is therefore an unfamiliar outcome for one of the country's most consistent and competitive clubs over the last 10 years.
Still, it would be unfair to judge Lavagne solely on a pre-season tournament.
The Kagame Cup is meant to expose weaknesses and help coaches identify their strongest combinations before the competitive season begins.
However, the Frenchman is also aware that he has joined a club where patience is often in short supply. Vipers have built a reputation for changing coaches quickly, with even league-winning Belgian Ivan Jacky Minnaert shown the exit after guiding the club to last season's title because the team's style of play failed to convince club president Lawrence Mulindwa.
That history means the pressure will inevitably begin to build around Lavagne, even before the competitive season kicks off.
With the UPL season kicking off on August 28 and a CAF Champions League campaign on the horizon, the real examinations are still to come.