STARTIMES UGANDA PREMIER LEAGUE
The Date: December 30, 2023
The Contest: Express FC vs. Vipers SC
The Time: 4pm
The Venue: Wankulukuku Stadium
Vipers SC will seek to get back to winning ways when they make a short trip to Muteesa II Stadium, Wankulukuku to take on Express FC in a Saturday Uganda Premier League showdown.
The Venoms suffered a 3-2 defeat to BUL FC last time and have since slipped to third on the table with 24 points, but will fancy a chance to recover their mojo.
They take on a team coached by ex-Vipers tactician Alex Isabirye, making it a truly feisty affair.
And, assistant team captain Siraje Sentamu believes his team can find confidence in the remaining fixtures before the first round ends.
“I’m very confident we can bounce back,” Sentamu told the club media on Friday.
“Twists and turns are part of anything you do, especially in football. Whatever the aim or the target is, it is not going to go in a linear progression. You have to know that and prepare for that and the way the team reacted this week in training is incredibly positive and we want to see that tomorrow,” he added.
“We are really looking forward to tomorrow, to get the game that we want and the result that we want. There are three games left and we have two games to play at the St Mary’s Stadium and we’re looking forward to that.”
“Every game is an opportunity to improve as a team and every game has different gifts. Those gifts are what you take, what you learn and how you improve as a team. We have another gift tomorrow and we have to take it the way we want to.”
Vipers have the lion’s share of victories in this fixture, with ten wins since the 2012/13 season. Express has only three while eight matches have ended in shared spoils.
Vipers and Express will be meeting for the 36th time in Uganda’s league history since 2006 when the Venoms joined the top flight division. We have won 16, drawn 12 and lost 7 with a return of 46 goals against 25.
Head-To-Head: Express v Vipers
Meetings: 35
Vipers wins: 16
Draws: 12
Losses: 7
Goals for: 41
Against: 23
Points: 57
Last season, two sides out a goalless stalemate at Wankulukuku, before the Venoms walloped their opponents 5-2 in the reverse fixture at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende.
A Cromwell Rwothomio brace and one each from Bright Anukani, Yunus Sentamu and Milton Karisa handed us victory on our way to the championship.
Team News:
Goalkeeper Alfred Mudekereza, who had a broken finger issue that kept him out for three months, is in the 22 man squad to face Express FC.
Youngster Jack Komakech is still out nursing an injury due to a twisted ankle he picked up in training two weeks ago.
Abdu Lumala is still out due to a groin problem but is back training on the sidelines.
Richard Matovu pulled out of this week’s training with a thigh problem and won’t be available for today’s match.
Credit: Vipers SC official website.
