➡ Vipers SC 1 (4) Real De Bangui 0 (0)
KAMPALA, UGANDA: Uganda Premier League football giants Vipers SC Saturday qualified for the second round of the preliminary round of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League after beating Olympic De Bangui 4-0 on aggregate over the two legs.
Vipers beat Olympic Real De Bangui 1-0 in the return leg played on Saturday at the St. Marys Stadium, Kitende courtesy of an early goal by Yunus Sentamu. The Ugandan soccer maestros had also won 3-0 away in Congo Brazaville a week earlier.
The Ugandan champions now set-up a juicy clash against former African champions TP Mazembe of DR Congo in the next round.
Vipers SC started in control of the match with midfielder Bright Anukani, Milton Karisa and Sentamu combining well. After 19 minutes Sentamu put Vipers SC ahead with a neat finish.
In the second half, the two teams still created limited chances, despite Vipers making a couple of changes. With five minutes to full time the team from the Central African Republic had striker Flory Jean Michael Yangao’s shot hit the woodwork.
The visitors however finished a man less after Flory Yangao was set off in the added time for unsportsmanlike conduct against Vipers player Issa Mubiru.
Speaking after the game, Vipers SC Head coach Roberto Oliviera said building a strong side became a problem when his side lost three pivotal players in Ceasar Mazoki, Bobosi Byaruhanga, and captain Halid Lwaliwa. He however said he started preparing his team for the continental games earlier which gave him an advantage.
The opponents’ coach Jean- Etienne Momokoamas said the first leg cost his side, and a couple of his players missed the game which brought imbalance in his squad. “Many of the players did not take part in this game,” he added.
Vipers SC will now meet five-time CAF Champions League winners TP Mazembe who received a bye in the first preliminary round and the winner in that clash will progress through to the lucrative Group stage.
The Venoms will host the first leg which will take place between 7-9 October before visiting Lubumbashi for the return leg a week later.
The venoms are bidding to become the second club from Uganda to qualify for the CAF Champions League group stages after Kampala Capital City Authority- KCCA FC in 2018. But if they fail the Mazembe hurdle, they will drop to CAF Confederation Cup playoff round.
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