UPL clash of titans: Vipers host Villa in title credentials test

Uganda Premier League

Saturday

Maroons v NEC, 4pm

Vipers v SC Villa, 8pm

All eyes will be on St Mary’s Stadium Kitende on Saturday when two of the Uganda Premier League’s (UPL) most in-form teams, Vipers SC and SC Villa, face off under the floodlights in what promises to be one of the early-season blockbusters.

Reigning champions Vipers have launched their title defence in flawless fashion, winning all four of their opening matches. But record holders SC Villa who are seeking an 18th league title have gone one better.

The Jogoos will arrive in Kitende on a five-match winning streak, determined to cement their position at the top of the 16-team table and fend off the fast-charging Venoms and other serious rivals KCCA FC.

Vipers dominated the domestic scene last season, sweeping both the UPL title and the Uganda Cup, an impressive double which was the second time that the club achieved it in their history.

Though the Venoms entered the 2025/2026 season as clear favourites to retain their crowns, the resurgence of Villa under Serbian coach Zeljko Kovacevic has altered the narrative. The Jogoos look revitalised, disciplined, and hungry, prompting many observers to reconsider their early-season predictions.

Saturday’s encounter is therefore widely viewed as a true test of both sides’ title credentials, particularly Villa’s.

Fans and pundits are eager to see whether the revitalised Jogoos are now equipped to dethrone a Vipers side that has claimed four of the past six league titles. Important to note is the fact that Villa claimed one of the two titles, winning it in 2024 with the other going to rivals Express in 2021.

Adding intrigue to the contest is the tactical duel between the league’s only two foreign coaches: Vipers’ Belgian head coach Ivan Minnaert and Villa’s Serbian tactician Kovacevic.

While Minnaert’s perfect record has not fully silenced critics who argue his team’s performances lack fluency, Kovacevic has earned plaudits for Villa’s possession-based, high-intensity style of play. Both coaches, notably, are only months into their tenures after joining their respective clubs in July.

Both teams will approach this clash with fresh momentum. On Wednesday, Vipers cruised to a 3-0 win over Express FC at Hamz Stadium Nakivubo courtesy of goals from Allan Okello, Enock Ssebaggala, and substitute Isaac Ogwang. Villa, meanwhile, edged UPDF 1-0 in Bombo thanks to Ibrahim Kasinde’s decisive strike.

Last season’s meetings produced tense encounters. Villa nearly derailed Vipers’ title charge with a narrow 1-0 victory at Muteesa II Stadium Wankulukuku, a result that reopened the title race and kept NEC FC in contention heading into the final stretch. However, Villa’s trips to Kitende were less fruitful; they lost 2-1 in the league and fell 1-0 in the Uganda Cup quarterfinal. Their last victory at this venue dates back to 2020, when Bashir Mutanda’s goal secured a memorable win.

Before the spotlight shifts to Kitende in the evening, Maroons FC will host NEC at Luzira Prison Grounds in Nakawa earlier in the afternoon. The Prison Wardens will enter this fixture buoyed by their emphatic 3-0 win over Lugazi FC on Tuesday, while Badru Kaddu’s NEC will be eyeing back-to-back victories following their 1-0 triumph over newcomers Calvary at Omondi Stadium Lugogo.