CAF Champions League: Vipers go down at home to Al Hilal

Preliminary Round

First leg

Vipers 0 Al Hilal Omdurman 1

Second leg

December 6

Al Hilal Omdurman v Vipers

Vipers started their 2020-2021 CAF Champion League campaign on a low note after going down 1-0 to Sudan giants Al Hilal on Saturday at St Mary's Stadium in Kitende.
 
The Venoms who didn't do enough in the first half gave the visitors a lot of respect.

Forwards Milton Karisa, new signing Cesar Manzoki and Abraham Ndugwa lacked coordination in the final third.

Hamid Bakhet's shot in the 26th minute saw All Hilal pick an important goal in Kampala.  

However, the introduction of Ibrahim Orit at the death of the first half and David Bagoole, Paul Mucureezi, and Dan Sserunkuma in the second half gave Vipers a different dimension.

Vipers continued to pile on the pressure but Orit and Sserunkuma wasted chances.

The Venoms will have to lift their performance in the second leg next weekend in Sudan if they are to qualify for the next round.

The winner between Vipers and Al Hilal will face Mauritania's Nouadhibour or Ghanaian side Asante Kotoko in the first round of the qualifiers before the eventual winner progress to the group stages.

A minimum of $550,000 (sh2bn) cash prize awaits Vipers should they make it to the group stages.

All that the Ugandan champions now have to do, is navigate past the two opponents in both qualifying rounds to be assured of the cash.

The cash on offer from oil giant Total has the winning team bagging $2.25m, runner-up $1.25m

Losing semi-finalists are assured of $875,000 (sh3.1bn), quarter-finalist $675,000 while the third and fourth-placed teams in the group will each get $550,000.

If Vipers progress to the first round and they are eliminated by either Mauritania's Nouadhibour or Ghanaian side Asante Kotoko then they will be subjected to a CAF Confederations Cup play-off round.