Kigali, Rwanda: Vipers SC booked their place in the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup semifinals after Gusto Mulongo scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner to secure a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Kenyan giants Gor Mahia at Pele Stadium on Monday.
Mulongo rose highest to head home Ashraf Mandela’s pinpoint cross in the third minute of added time, handing the Uganda Premier League champions their second consecutive Group A victory and confirming automatic qualification to the last four with a game to spare.
The result ended Gor Mahia’s impressive unbeaten start to the tournament after the Kenyan side had thrashed Rwanda’s APR FC 5-0 in their opening fixture.
The encounter was evenly balanced from the opening whistle, with both teams engaged in a physical contest while creating limited clear-cut chances.
Gor Mahia enjoyed the lion’s share of possession during the early exchanges but struggled to penetrate a well-organized Vipers defence.
The Venoms gradually grew into the contest and threatened through swift attacks.
In the 18th minute, Yunus Sentamu beat his marker down the left flank but his cross failed to find a teammate inside the penalty area.
Moments later, Farouk Miya delivered a dangerous ball into the box, only for Hillary Mukundane’s effort to be blocked by defender Ebenezer Ocran.
Vipers came close again 10 minutes into the second half when Sentamu laid the ball into Miya’s path, but the Uganda Cranes forward saw his powerful strike whistle narrowly wide of the post.
Seeking a breakthrough, head coach Denis Lavagne made a triple substitution on the hour mark, introducing Gusto Mulongo, Odili Chukwuma and Usama Arafat in place of Isaac Ogwang, Sentamu and Milton Karisa.
The changes injected fresh energy into the Ugandan champions as they piled pressure on the Kenyan side.
Mukundane nearly broke the deadlock in the 75th minute, but his header from Chukwuma’s cross drifted just wide.
With the match seemingly destined for a draw, Mandela delivered a perfectly weighted cross deep into stoppage time, allowing Mulongo to glance a header beyond goalkeeper Humphrey Katasi and spark jubilant celebrations among the Vipers players and supporters.
The victory lifts Vipers to six points from two matches, guaranteeing top spot in Group A and a place in the semifinals ahead of their final group fixture.
Meanwhile, Gor Mahia must now defeat FC Garde Républicaine of Djibouti in their final group match to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
