Vipers coach Lavagne welcomes fair Champions League draw
Vipers will face Nouadhibou in the first preliminary round of the competition, with Lavagne aware that his side must be at their best over the two legs to progress.
Courtesy photo
International friendly
Vipers v Nairobi United
At 7pm
St Mary’s Stadium Kitende
Vipers SC head coach Denis Lavagne has welcomed their CAF Champions League draw against Mauritanian side FC Nouadhibou, describing it as a fair outcome.
Vipers will face Nouadhibou in the first preliminary round of the competition, with Lavagne aware that his side must be at their best over the two legs to progress.
“I think it is a good draw, but all teams in the Champions League are difficult. We have to play two good games and be very strong to reach the second round,” Lavagne said.
The French coach, who recently saw Vipers eliminated from the CECAFA Kagame Cup in Rwanda at the group stage, cautioned his players against underestimating Nouadhibou.
Although the Mauritanian side may appear a favourable opponent on paper, Lavagne believes every team in the Champions League has the quality to cause an upset.
“I do not have so much information about them, but the little we have is that they are a good team. It is always difficult in the Champions League, so we have to prepare very well for this game,” he added.
The CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup draws were conducted on Thursday at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.
If Vipers overcome Nouadhibou on aggregate, they will meet either Côte d’Ivoire’s San Pedro or Nigeria’s Rivers United in the second preliminary round.
The first-leg matches in both competitions will be played between September 4 and 6, with the return legs scheduled for September 11 to 13.
Vipers will be seeking a better campaign after falling at the second preliminary round stage last season. They lost 3-2 on aggregate to Zambia’s Power Dynamos, extending their wait for a return to the group stage since their maiden appearance in 2022.
Kitara, meanwhile, will be making only their second appearance in the CAF Confederation Cup. Their debut campaign in 2024 ended in the first preliminary round after they suffered a 6-4 aggregate defeat to Libya’s Al Hilal Benghazi.
Vipers earned their Champions League place after winning the Uganda Premier League title last season, while Kitara qualified for the Confederation Cup by lifting the Uganda Cup.
Both Ugandan clubs will now begin preparations for their continental assignments, with progress into the group stages likely to be a major target.
For Vipers, advancing beyond the opening rounds would offer another opportunity to build on their 2022 breakthrough, while Kitara will be looking to improve on their first continental outing and give Ugandan football an even stronger continental presence this season.